GRANDMOTHER 


Handy  Volume    Editions 
of  Copyrighted   Fiction 

BY 

LAURA    E. 
RICHARDS 

* 

MRS.  TREE'S  WILL     .     .     $  .75 
MRS.  TREE      ......  75 

GEOFFREY   STRONG      .         .75 
FOR  TOMMY  ......  75 

LOVE   AND   ROCKS   .     .         .75 
CAPTAIN  JANUARY   .     .         .75 


Tall  jfimos,  Individual  Cover 
Designs.     Illustrated. 


DANA  ESTES  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS 
ESTES  PRESS,  BOSTON,  MASS. 


"GRANDMOTHER      KNELT      DOWN      BESIDE      HIM,      AND      TOOK 
HIS    HAND." 

(See  page  62) 


RAND-    # 
MOTHER 


The  Story  of  a  Life  That  Never 
Was  Lived 

By 

Laura  E.  Richards 

Author  of 

"  Captain  January,"  "  Melody,"  "  Marie,"  "  Mrs. Tree's 

Will,"  etc. 


Boston 

Dana  Estes  &  Company 

Publishers 


Copyright,  1907 
BY  DANA  ESTES  &  COMPANY 

All  rights  reserved 


GRANDMOTHEK 


COLONIAL   PRESS 

Eltctrotyped  and  Printed  by  C.  H.  Simonds  &•  Co. 
Boston,   U.S.A. 


5RLI 


TO 
MY  DAUGHTER 


I  heard  an  angel  singing 
When  the  day  was  springing, 
"  Mercy,  pity  and  peace 
Are  the  world's  release ! " 

— WILLIAM  BLAKE. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGB 

I.     How  SHE  CAME  TO  THE  VILLAGE       .  1 
n.    How    THE    FIRST    LINE    CAME     IN 

HER  FACE 15 

HI.     How   SHE   PLAYED  WITH   THE  CHIL- 
DREN           30 

IV.    How   SHE   SANG    GRANDFATHER    TO 

SLEEP 50 

V.    How    THE    SECOND    LINE   CAME    IN 

HER  FOREHEAD       ....  65 

VI.     How  SHE  WENT  VISITING          .        .  81 

VII.     How  THE  LIGHT  CAME  TO  HER        .  99 

VIII.     How  HER  HAIR  TURNED  WHITE       .  116 

IX.    How  SHE  FOUND  PEACE    .  132 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

"  GRANDMOTHER  KNELT  DOWN  BESIDE  HIM, 

AND  TOOK  HIS  HAND  "  (Page  62~)  Frontispiece 

"  THE  LONG  WHITE  LILY PUTTING  IT  DELI- 
CATELY TO  HER  CHEEK  "  ...  20 

"  GRANDMOTHER  HAD  FORGOTTEN  ALL  THE 

WORLD  EXCEPT  THE  CHILD  "  .  .  .  102 

"  SHE  LAY  LIKE  AN  IVORY  STATUE  "    .        .    145 


GRANDMOTHER 


CHAPTER   I 

HOW   SHE   CAME   TO   THE   VILLAGE 

SHE  was  a  slip  of  a  girl  when  first  she 
came  to  the  village;  slender  and 
delicate,  with  soft  brown  hair  blowing 
about  her  soft  face.  Those  who  saw 
her  coming  down  the  street  beside 
Grandfather  Merion  thought  he  had 
brought  back  one  of  his  grandnieces 
with  him  from  the  west  for  a  visit;  it 
was  known  that  he  had  been  out 
i 


2  GRANDMOTHER 

there,  and  he  had  been  away  all 
summer. 

Anne  Peace  and  her  mother  looked 
up  from  their  sewing  as  the  pair  went 
by;  Grandfather  Merion  walking  slow 
and  stately  with  his  ivory-headed  stick 
and  his  great  three-cornered  hat, 
the  last  one  left  in  the  village,  his  kind 
wise  smile  greeting  the  neighbors  as 
he  met  them;  and  beside  him  this 
tall  slender  maiden  in  her  light  print 
gown  that  the  wind  was  tossing  about, 
as  it  tossed  the  brown  cloud  of  hair 
about  her  cheeks. 

"  Look,  mother !  "  said  Anne  Peace. 
"  She  is  for  all  the  world  like  a  wind- 
flower,  so  pretty  and  slim.  Who  is  it, 
think?" 

"  Some  of  his  western  kin,  I  s'pose," 


HOW  SHE  CAME  TO  THE  VILLAGE      3 

said  Widow  Peace.  "  She  is  a  pretty 
piece.  See  if  she's  got  the  new  back, 
Anne;  I  was  wishful  some  stranger 
would  coine  to  town  to  show  us  how  it 
looked." 

"  Land,  Mother,"  said  Anne ;  "  her 
gown's  nothing  but  calico,  and  might 
have  come  out  of  the  Ark,  looks  's 
though;  not  but  what  'tis  pretty  on 
her.  Real  graceful !  There !  see  her 
look  up  at  him,  just  as  sweet !  I  expect 
she  is  his  grandniece,  likely.  There 
they  go  in  't  the  gate,  and  he's  left  it 
open,  and  the  hens'll  get  out.  Rachel 
won't  like  that !  She  keeps  her  hens 
real  careful." 

"  She  fusses  'em  most  to  death !  " 
said  Mrs.  Peace.  "  If  I  was  a  hen  I 
should  go  raving  distracted  if  Rachel 


4  GRANDMOTHER 

Merion  had  the  rearin'  of  me.  Why, 
Anne  !  why,  look  at  Rachel  this  minute, 
runnin'  down  the  garden  path.  She 
looks  as  if  something  was  after  her. 
My  sakes  !  she's  comin'  in  here.  What 
in  the  - 

Rachel  Merion,  a  tall  handsome 
young  woman  with  a  general  effect  of 
black  and  red  about  her,  came  out  of 
her  door  and  down  the  path  like  an 
arrow  shot  from  a  bow.  At  one  dash 
she  reached  the  gate  and  paused  to 
flash  a  furious  look  back  at  the  house ; 
with  a  second  dash  she  was  across  the 
road,  and  in  another  instant  she  stood 
in  Mrs.  Peace's  sitting-room,  quiver- 
ing like  a  bowstring. 

"  Mis'  Peace  !  "  she  cried.  "  Anne  ! 
he's  done  it !  he  has !  he  has,  I  tell 


HOW   SHE   CAME  TO  THE   VILLAGE      5 

you !  I'll  go  crazy  or  drown  myself ; 
I  will !  I  will !  " 

She  began  beating  the  air  with  her 
hands  and  screaming  in  short  breathless 
gasps.  Mrs.  Peace  looked  calmly  at 
her  over  her  spectacles. 

"  There,  Rachel !  "  she  said.  "  You 
are  in  a  takin',  aren't  you  ?  Set  down 
a  spell,  till  you  feel  quieter,  and  then 
tell  us  about  it." 

Anne,  seeing  the  girl  past  speech, 
rose  quietly,  and  taking  her  hand, 
forced  her  to  sit  down;  then  taking  a 
bowl  of  water  from  the  table,  wet  her 
brow  and  head  repeatedly,  speaking 
low  and  soothingly  the  while :  '  There, 
Rachel !  there !  You're  better  now, 
aren't  you  ?  Take  a  long  breath,  and 
count  ten  slowly ;  there  !  there !  " 


6  GRANDMOTHER 

The  angry  girl  took  a  deep  breath 
and  then  another;  soon  the  power  of 
speech  returned,  and  broke  out  in  a 
torrent. 

"  I  always  knew  he  would !  "  she 
cried.  "  I've  looked  for  it  ever  since 
Mother  was  cold  in  her  grave  and 
before,  you  know  I  have,  Anne  Peace. 
I  looked  for  it  with  Aunt  'Melia  till  I 
routed  her  out  of  the  house,  and  I 
looked  for  it  with  Mis'  Wiley  till  I  sent 
her  flying.  I  wish't  now  I'd  let  'em 
alone,  both  of  'em.  I'd  sooner  he'd 
married  'em  both,  and  been  a  Turk 
and  done  with  it,  instead  of  this." 

Mrs.  Peace  looked  over  her  spectacles 
with  mild  severity. 

"  Rachel  Merion,"  she  said,  "  what 
are  you  talking  about?  If  it's  your 


HOW  SHE   CAME   TO  THE  VILLAGE      7 

grandfather,  why  then  I  tell  you  plain, 
that  is  no  proper  way  for  you  to  talk. 
What  has  happened?  speak  out 
plain !  " 

"  He's  married ! "  Rachel  fairly 
shrieked.  "  Married  to  a  girl  of  eight- 
een, and  brought  her  back  to  sit  over 
me  and  order  me  about  in  my  own 
house.  I'll  teach  'em !  I'll  let  'em  see 
if  I'm  going  to  be  bossed  round  by 
a  brown  calico  rag  doll.  They'll  find 
me  dead  on  the  threshold  first.  " 

"  Married  !  "  cried  Mrs.  Peace  and 
Anne.  "  Oh,  Rachel !  it  can't  be. 
You  can't  have  understood  him. 
It's  one  of  his  grandnieces,  I  expect, 
your  Aunt  Sophia's  daughter.  She 
settled  out  west,  I've  always  heard." 

"  I   tell   you   he's   married !  "    cried 


8  GRANDMOTHER 

Rachel.  "  Didn't  he  tell  me  so  ? 
didn't  he  lead  her  in  by  the  hand 
(she  was  scared,  I'll  say  that  for  her; 
she'd  better  be ! )  and  say  '  Rachel, 
here's  my  wife !  here's  your  little 
grandmother  that's  come  to  be  a  play- 
mate for  you.'  Little  grandmother ! 
that's  what  I'll  call  her,  I  guess.  Let 
her  be  a  grandmother,  and  sit  in  the 
chimney  corner  and  smoke  a  cob  pipe 
and  wear  a  cap  tied  under  her  chin. 
But  if  ever  she  dares  to  sit  in  my  chair, 
I'll  kill  her  and  myself  too.  Oh,  Mis' 
Peace,  I  wish  I  was  dead !  I  wish 
everybody  was  dead." 

So  that  was  how  Grandmother  came 
by  her  name.  It  seems  strange  that  it 
should  have  been  first  given  as  a  taunt. 

And  while  Rachel  was  raving  and 


HOW  SHE   CAME  TO  THE  VILLAGE      9 

weeping,  and  the  good  Peaces,  who 
tried  to  live  up  to  their  name,  were 
soothing  her  with  quiet  and  comfortable 
words,  Grandmother  was  standing  in 
the  middle  of  the  great  Merion  kitchen, 
with  her  hands  folded  before  her  in 
the  light  pretty  way  she  had,  listening 
to  Grandfather ;  and  while  she  listened 
she  looked  to  and  fro  with  shy  startled 
glances,  and  seemed  to  sway  lightly 
from  side  to  side,  as  if  a  breath  would 
move  her;  she  was  like  a  windflower, 
as  Anne  Peace  said. 

'  You  mustn't  mind  Rachel," 
Grandfather  was  saying,  as  he  filled 
his  long  pipe  and  settled  himself  in 
his  great  chair.  "  She  is  like  the  wind 
that  bloweth  where  it  listeth;  where 
it  listeth.  She  has  grown  up  motherless 


10  GRANDMOTHER 

-  like  yourself,  my  dear,  but  with  a 
difference;  with  a  difference;  neither 
your  grandmother  —  I  would  say, 
neither  my  wife  nor  I  have  ever  governed 
her  enough.  She  has  rather  governed 
me,  being  of  that  disposition;  of  that 
disposition.  Yes !  But  she  is  a  fine 
girl,  and  I  hope  you  will  be  good 
friends.  This  is  the  kitchen,  where 
we  mostly  sit  in  summer,  for  coolness, 
you  see;  Rachel  cooks  mostly  in  the 
back  kitchen  in  summer.  That  is  the 
sitting-room  beyond,  which  you  will 
find  pleasant  in  cooler  weather.  That 
is  the  pantry  door,  and  that  one  opens 
on  the  cellar  stairs.  Comfortable,  all 
very  comfortable.  I  hope  you  will  be 
happy,  my  dear.  Do  you  think  you 
will  be  happy  ?  " 


HOW  SHE  CAME  TO  THE  VILLAGE    11 

He  looked  at .  her  with  a  shade  of 
anxiety  in  his  cheerful  eyes,  and  waited 
for  her  reply. 

"  Oh  —  yes  !  "  said  Grandmother, 
with  a  flutter  in  her  voice  that  told  of 
a  sob  somewhere  near.  '  Yes,  sir,  if  — 
if  she  will  not  always  be  angry.  Will 
she  always,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"No!  No!"  said  Grandfather; 
"  very  soon,  very  soon,  we'll  all  be 
comfortable,  all  be  comfortable.  Just 
don't  mind  her,  my  dear.  Let  her  be, 
and  she'll  come  round." 

He  nodded  wisely  with  his  kind 
grave  smile.  By  and  by  he  bade  her 
go  out  in  the  garden  and  gather  a  posy 
for  herself;  and  then  he  took  his  hat 
and  stepped  across  the  road  to  Widow 
Peace's. 


12  GRANDMOTHER 

Grandmother  started  obediently,  but 
when  she  came  to  the  garden  door  she 
stopped  and  looked  out  with  wide 
startled  eyes.  Rachel  in  her  scarlet 
dress  was  down  on  her  knees  in  the 
poppy  bed,  the  pride  of  her  heart,  and 
was  plucking  up  the  poppies  in  furious 
haste,  dragging  them  up  by  the  roots 
and  trampling  them  under  her  feet. 

"  It  seemed  the  only  thing  to  do !  " 
said  Grandfather  Merion,  absently. 
*  Wild  parts,  Susan ;  wild  parts, 
ma'am !  Her  parents  dead,  as  I  told 
you,  and  the  child  left  with  the  inn- 
keeper's wife,  who  was  not  —  not  a 
person  fitted  to  bring  up  a  young  girl ; 
no  other  woman  —  at  least  none  of 
suitable  character  near.  It  seemed 


HOW  SHE   CAME  TO  THE  VILLAGE    13 

clearly  my  duty  to  bring  the  child 
away.  Then  —  my  search  led  me 
into  mining-camps,  and  often  I  had 
to  be  off  alone  among  the  mountains, 
as  a  rumor  came  from  here  or  there  - 
the  marriage  bond  was  a  protection, 
you  see ;  yes,  I  was  clear  as  to  my  duty. 
But  I  confess  I  forgot  about  Rachel, 
Susan,  and  Rachel  is  so  ungoverned ! 
I  fear  she  will  not  —  a  —  not  be  sub- 
ject to  my  wife  —  whose  name  is 
Pity,  by  the  way,  Susan;  a  quaint 
name;  she  is  a  very  good  child.  I 
am  sure  you  and  little  Annie  will  be 
good  to  her." 

Good  Widow  Peace  promised,  and 
so  did  Anne,  her  soft  brown  eyes 
shining  with  good- will;  but  when  he 
was  gone  back,  the  old  woman  shook 


14  GRANDMOTHER 

her  head.  "  No  good  can  come  of  it !  " 
she  said.  "  I  hadn't  the  heart  to  say 
so,  Anne,  for  poor  Grandfather  must 
have  a  hard  time,  searching  them  cruel 
mountains  for  his  graceless  son;  but 
no  good  can  come  of  it." 

"  But  we  can  try !  "  said  Anne. 


CHAPTER  II 

HOW  THE  FIRST  LINE   CAME   IN   HER 
FACE 

RACHEL  did  not  kill  herself,  nor  go 
crazy;  nor  did  she  even  go  away,  as 
she  threatened  to  do  when  she  wearied 
of  announcing  her  imminent  death. 
She  stayed  and  made  things  unpleasant 
for  Grandmother.  She  was  barely 
civil  to  her  in  Grandfather's  presence, 
for  she  dared  not  be  otherwise;  but 
the  moment  his  back  was  turned  she 
was  grimacing  and  threatening  behind 
it,  and  when  he  left  the  room  she 
would  break  out  into  open  taunt  and 

15 


16  GRANDMOTHER 

menace.  There  was  no  name  too 
hateful  for  her  to  call  the  pale  girl  who 
never  reviled  her  in  turn;  but  Grand- 
mother's very  silence  was  turned  against 
her. 

"  You  needn't  think  that  I  don't 
know  why  you're  dumb  as  a  fish !  " 
raved  the  frantic  girl.  '  You  know 
what  I  say  is  true,  and  you  darsn't 
speak  !  you  darsn't !  you  darsn't !  - 
She  stopped  short;  for  Grandmother 
had  come  and  taken  her  by  both  wrists, 
and  stood  gazing  at  her. 

"  Stop !  "  she  said  quietly.  "  That 
is  enough.  Stop  !  " 

They  stood  for  some  minutes,  look- 
ing into  each  other's  eyes ;  then  Rachel 
turned  her  head  away  with  a  sullen 
gesture.  "  Let  me  go !  "  she  said.  "  I 


THE    FIRST   LINE    IN    HER   FACE     17 

don't  want  to  say  anything  more.    I've 
said  enough.     Let  me  go  !  " 

These  were  bad  hours,  but  there 
were  good  ones  too  for  little  Grand- 
mother. She  loved  her  housework, 
and  did  it  with  a  pretty  grace  and 
quickness;  she  loved  to  sit  by  Grand- 
father with  her  sewing,  or  read  the 
paper  to  him.  She  could  not  be  doing 
enough  for  the  old  man.  She  told 
Anne  Peace  that  he  had  saved  her  life. 
"  I  should  not  have  gone  on  living  out 
there,"  she  said,  "  it  was  not  good  to 
live  after  my  father  died.  I  had  one 
friend,  but  he  left  me,  and  there  were 
only  strangers  when  Grandfather  came 
and  saved  me.  It  is  a  little  thing  to 
let  her  scold  "  —  it  was  after  one  of 
Rachel's  tantrums  —  "  if  only  she  will  be 


18  GRANDMOTHER 

quiet  before  him,  and  not  make  him 
grieve." 

But  her  happiest  hours  were  in  the 
garden.  It  was  a  lovely  place,  the 
Merion  garden;  not  large,  only  a 
hundred  feet  from  the  house  to  the 
street;  but  this  space  was  so  set  and 
packed  with  flowers  that  from  a 
little  distance  it  looked  like  a  gay 
carpet  stretched  before  the  old  red 
brick  house.  Small  lozenge-shaped 
beds,  each  a  mass  of  brilliant  color; 
sweet-william,  iris,  pansies,  poppies, 
forget  -  me  -  nots,  and  twenty  other 
lovely  things.  Between  the  beds, 
round  and  round  like  a  slender 
green  ribbon,  ran  a  little  grassy 
path,  just  wide  enough  for  one  person. 
Grandmother  would  spend  her  best 


THE    FIRST   LINE    IN    HER   FACE      19 

hours  following  this  path ;  pacing  slowly 
along,  stopping  here  to  look  and  there 
to  smell,  and  everywhere  to  love. 
She  was  like  a  flower  herself,  as  she 
drifted  softly  along  in  her  light  dress, 
her  soft  hair  blowing  about  her  sweet 
pale  face;  a  windflower,  as  Anne 
Peace  said. 

One  day  she  had  followed  the  path 
till  she  came  to  where  it  ran  along  by 
the  old  vine-covered  brick  wall  that 
stood  between  the  garden  and  the 
road.  You  could  hardly  see  the  wall 
for  the  grape-vines  that  were  piled 
thick  upon  it;  and  inside  the  vines 
tumbled  about,  overrunning  the  long 
bed  of  yellow  iris  that  was  the  rear- 
guard of  the  garden. 

Grandmother    was    talking    as    she 


20  GRANDMOTHER 

drifted  slowly  along;  it  was  a  way  she 
had,  bred  by  her  lonely  life  in  the 
western  cabin;  talking  half  to  herself, 
half  to  the  long  white  lily  that  she  held, 
putting  it  delicately  to  her  cheek  now 
and  then,  as  if  to  feel  which  was  the 
smoother. 

"  But  Manuel  never  came  back !  " 
she  was  saying.  "  I  never  knew,  white 
lily,  I  never  knew  whether  he  was 
alive  or  dead.  That  made  it  hard  to 
come  away,  do  you  see,  dear  ?  Whether 
he  was  lost  in  the  great  snow  up  on 
the  mountains,  or  whether  the  Indians 
caught  him,  —  I  can  never  know  now, 
lily  dear;  and  he  was  my  only  friend 
till  Grandfather  came,  and  I  loved  him 
—  I  loved  Manuel,  white  lily  !  Ah  ! 
what  is  that  ?  " 


"THE    LONG    WHITE    LILY  — PUTTING  IT  DELICATELY  TO  HER 
CHEEK." 


THE   FIRST   LINE   IN    HER  FACE     21 

There  was  a  smothered  exclama- 
tion; a  rustle  on  the  other  side  of  the 
wall.  The  next  moment  a  figure 
that  had  been  lying  under  the  wall 
rose  up  and  confronted  Grand- 
mother; the  figure  of  a  young  man, 
tall  and  graceful,  with  the  look  of  a 
foreigner. 

"  Pitia  !  "  cried  the  young  man.  "  It 
is  you  ?  You  call  me  ?  —  see,  I  come  ! 
I  am  here,  Manuel  Santos." 

Yes,  things  happen  so,  sometimes, 
more  strangely  than  in  stories. 

He  stretched  out  his  arms  across  the 
wall  in  greeting. 

"  Are  you  alive,  Manuel  ?  "  asked 
Grandmother,  making  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  as  her  Spanish  nurse  had  taught 
her.  "  Are  you  alive,  or  a  spirit  ? 


22  GRANDMOTHER 

Either  way  I  am  glad,  oh,  glad  to  see 
you,  Manuel !  " 

She  drew  near  timidly,  and  timidly 
reached  out  her  hand  and  touched 
his ;  he  grasped  it  with  a  cry,  and  then 
with  one  motion  had  leaped  the  wall 
and  caught  her  in  his  arms.  '  Pitia !  " 
he  cried.  !  To  me  !  mine,  forever !  " 

He  lifted  her  face  to  his,  but  in 
breathless  haste  little  Grandmother  put 
him  from  her  and  leaned  back  against 
the  wall,  with  hands  outstretched  keep- 
ing him  off. 

'  Manuel,"   she   said.       '  I  have   a 
great  deal  to  tell  you.     I  thought  - 
you   did   not   come   back.     I   thought 
you  were  dead." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  boy.  "  No  wonder  ! 
The  Apaches  got  me  and  kept  me  all 


THE   FIRST   LINE    IN    HER   FACE     23 

winter  with  a  broken  leg.  What  mat- 
ter ?  I  got  away.  I  found  you  had 
come  east.  I  found  the  man's  name 
who  brought  you  —  found  where  he 
lived.  I  followed.  I  come  here  an 
hour  ago,  and  lie  down,  I  think  by 
chance,  beneath  the  wall  to  rest.  That 
chance  was  the  finger  of  Heaven.  You 
see,  Pitia,  it  leads  me  to  you.  I  take 
you,  you  are  mine,  you  go  back  with 
me,  as  my  wife." 

The  little  windflower  was  very  white 
as  she  leaned  against  the  wall,  still  with 
outstretched  pleading  hands;  whiter 
than  the  lily  that  lay  at  her  feet. 

"Manuel,"  she  said;  "listen!  I 
was  alone.  Father  died.  There  was 
no  woman  save  old  Emilia  — "  the 
lad  uttered  an  oath,  but  she  hurried 


24  GRANDMOTHER 

on.  "  I  could  not  —  I  could  not  stay. 
I  meant  to  die;  I  thought  you  dead, 
and  I  —  I  was  going  up  into  the  great 
snow  to  end  it,  when  —  a  good  old 
man  came.  Old,  old,  white  as  winter, 
but  good  as  Heaven.  He  saved  me, 
Manuel;  he  brought  me  here  to  his 
home,  and  it  is  mine  too.  I  am  his 
wife,  Manuel." 

"  His  wife  !  "  The  young  man  stared 
incredulous,  his  dark  eyes  full  of  pain 
and  trouble.  "  His  wife  —  an  old 
man  !  You,  my  Pitia  ?  "  Suddenly 
his  face  broke  into  laughter. 

"  I  see  !  "  he  cried.      '  You  punish 
me,  you  try  me  —  good  !    I  take  it  all ! 
Go  on,  Pitia !    more  penance,  I  desire 
it,  because  at  the  last  I  have  you  - 
so!" 


THE    FIRST   LINE    IN    HER   FACE     25 

Once  more  he  sprang  towards  her 
with  a  passionate  gesture;  but  the 
slender  white  arms  never  wavered. 

"  I  am  his  wife,"  she  repeated ; 
"  the  good  old  man's  wife.  See  — 
the  ring  on  my  finger.  They  —  they 
call  me  Grandmother,  Manuel  dear." 

She  tried  to  smile.  "  And  you  are 
alive !  "  she  said.  *  Manuel,  that  is 
all  I  will  think  of;  my  friend  is 
alive,  my  only  friend  till  Grandfather 


came." 


Alas !  poor  little  Grandmother,  poor 
little  windflower;  for  now  burst  forth 
a  storm  beside  which  Rachel's  rages 
seemed  the  babble  of  a  child.  Cruel 
names  the  boy  called  her,  in  his  wild 
passion  of  love  and  disappointment; 
cruel,  cruel  words  he  said;  and  she 


26  GRANDMOTHER 

stood  there  white  and  quiet,  looking  at 
him  with  patient  pleading  eyes,  but 
not  trying  to  excuse  or  defend. 

"  Ah !  "  he  cried  at  last.  "  You  are 
not  alive  at  all,  I  believe.  You  have 
never  lived,  you  do  not  know  what  life 


is." 


That  was  the  first  time  she  heard  it, 
poor  little  Grandmother.  She  was  to 
hear  it  so  many  times.  Now  she  put 
her  hand  to  her  heart  as  if  something 
had  pierced  it;  a  spasm  crossed  her 
smooth  forehead,  and  when  it  passed 
a  line  remained,  a  little  line  of  pain. 

But  she  only  nodded  and  tried  to 
smile,  and  said,  "  Yes,  sure,  Manuel ! 
yes,  sure !  " 

Then  they  heard  Grandfather's  voice 
behind  them,  and  there  was  the  good 


THE   FIRST   LINE   IN    HER  FACE     27 

old  man  standing,  leaning  on  his  stick 
and  looking  at  them  with  wonder. 

"  What  is  this  ?  "  said  Grandfather. 
"  I  heard  loud  and  angry  words. 
Who  is  this,  my  dear  ?  " 

"  This  is  Manuel,  Grandfather ;  my 
friend  of  whom  I  told  you.  He  is 
angry  because  I  am  married  to  you !  " 
said  Grandmother  simply ;  "  but  I  am 
always  so  thankful  to  you,  Grandfather 
dear !  " 

Grandfather  looked  kindly  at  the  boy. 
"  I  see  !  "  he  said.  '  Yes,  yes ;  I  see  ! 
I  see !  But  come  into  the  house  with 
us,  sir,  and  let  us  try  to  be  friends. 
Sorrow  in  youth  is  hard  to  bear,  yet 
it  can  be  borne,  it  can  be  borne,  and 
we  will  help  you  if  we  may." 

And  Grandmother  said,  "  Yes,  sure, 


28  GRANDMOTHER 

Manuel  dear;  come  in  and  eat  with 
us;  you  must  be  hungry." 

A  great  sob  burst  from  the  boy's 
throat,  and  turning  away  he  flung  his 
arm  upon  the  vine-covered  wall  and 
wept  there. 

"  Go  you  into  the  house,  my  dear," 
said  Grandfather;  "  and  be  getting 
supper.  We  will  come  presently." 

Grandmother  looked  at  him  for  a 
moment;  then  she  took  his  hand  and 
put  it  to  her  heart,  with  a  pretty 
gesture,  looking  into  his  face  with 
clear  patient  eyes;  he  laid  his  other 
hand  on  her  head,  and  they  stood  so 
for  a  moment  quietly,  with  no  words; 
then  she  went  into  the  house. 

And  by  and  by  Grandfather  brought 
Manuel  in  to  supper,  and  Rachel 


THE    FIRST   LINE    IN    HER   FACE     29 

was  wonderfully  civil,  and  they  were 
all  quite  cheerful  together. 

Manuel  stayed,  as  we  all  know,  and 
worked  for  Grandfather  on  the  farm, 
and  boarded  with  the  Widow  Peace 
across  the  way;  and  he  and  Grand- 
father were  great  friends,  and  he  and 
Rachel  quarrelled  and  made  up  and 
quarrelled  again,  over  and  over;  and 
always  from  that  time  there  was  a  little 
line  on  Grandmother's  smooth  fore- 
head. 


CHAPTER  III 

HOW  SHE  PLAYED  WITH  THE  CHILDREN 

I  ASKED  Anne  Peace  once,  when  we 
were  talking  about  Grandmother  (it 
was  not  till  the  next  year  that  we  came 
to  the  village),  how  soon  it  was  that  the 
children  found  her  out.  Very  soon, 
Anne  said.  It  began  with  their 
trying  to  tease  her  by  shouting  "  Grand- 
mother !  "  over  the  wall  and  running 
away.  She  caught  one  of  them  and 
carried  him  into  the  garden  screaming 
and  kicking  (she  was  strong,  for  all 
her  slenderness),  and  soon  she  had  him 
down  in  the  grass  listening  to  a  story, 

30 


HOW  SHE  PLAYED  WITH  CHILDREN   31 

eyes  and  mouth  wide  open,  and  all 
the  rest  of  them  hanging  over  the  wall 
among  the  grapevines,  "  trying  so  hard 
to  hear  you  could  'most  see  their  ears 
grow  !  "  said  Anne,  laughing. 

"  It  was  wonderful  the  way  she  had 
with  them.  I  used  to  wish  she  would 
keep  a  school,  after  she  was  left  alone, 
but  I  don't  know ;  maybe  she  couldn't 
have  taught  them  so  much  in  the  book 
way;  but  where  she  learned  all  the 
things  she  did  tell  'em  —  it  passes  me. 
I  used  to  ask  her:  '  Grandmother,' 
I'd  say,  *  where  do  you  get  it  all  ? ' 
And  she'd  laugh  her  pretty  way,  and 
say: 

"  '  Eye  and  ear, 
See  and  hear; 
Look  and  listen  well,  my  dear! ' 


32  GRANDMOTHER 

That  was  all   there   was  to  it,  she'd 
say,  but  we  knew  better." 

I  can  remember  her  stories  now. 
Perhaps  they  were  not  so  wonderful 
as  we  thought;  perhaps  it  was  the  way 
she  had  with  her  that  made  them  so 
enchanting.  I  never  shall  forget  the 
story  of  the  little  Prince  who  would  go 
a-wooing.  His  mother,  the  old  Queen, 
said  to  him : 

"  Look  she  sweet  or  speak  she  fair, 
Mark  what  she  does  when  they  curl  her 
hair! 

"  So  the  little  Prince  started  off  on 
his  travels,  and  soon  he  met  a  beautiful 
Princess  with  lovely  curls  as  white  as 
flax.  She  looked  sweet,  and  she  spoke 
fair,  and  the  little  Prince  thought  *  Here 


HOW  SHE  PLAYED  WITH  CHILDREN   33 

is  the  bride  for  me ! '  But  he  minded 
him  of  what  his  mother  said,  and  when 
the  Princess  went  to  have  her  hair 
curled  he  stood  under  the  window  and 
listened. 

"  And  what  did  he  hear,  children  ? 
He  heard  the  voice  that  had  spoken 
him  sweet  as  honey,  but  now  it  was 
sharp  and  thin  as  vinegar.  *  Careless 
slut ! '  it  said.  '  If  you  pull  my  hair 
again  I  will  have  you  beaten.' 

'  Then  the  little  Prince  shook  his 
head  and  sighed,  and  started  again  on 
his  travels.  By  and  by  he  met  another 
Princess,  and  she  was  red  as  a  rose, 
with  black  curls  shining  like  jet,  and 
her  eyes  so  bright  and  merry  that  the 
Prince  thought,  *  Sure,  this  is  the  bride 
for  me ! ' 


34  GRANDMOTHER 

c  The  Princess  thought  so  too,  and 
she  looked  sweet  and  spoke  fair;  but 
the  Prince  minded  him  of  what  his 
mother  had  said,  and  when  the  Princess 
went  to  have  her  hair  curled  he  listened 
again  beneath  the  window.  But  oh, 
children,  what  did  he  hear?  Angry 
words  and  stamping  feet,  and  then  a 
sharp  stinging  sound;  and  out  came 
the  maid  flying  and  crying,  with  her 
hand  to  her  cheek  that  had  been 
slapped  till  it  was  red  as  fire.  So 
when  the  Prince  saw  that  he  sighed 
again  and  shook  his  head,  and  started 
off  on  his  travels. 

"  Before  long  he  met  a  third  Princess, 
and  she  was  fair  as  a  star,  and  her  curls 
like  brown  gold,  and  falling  to  her 
knees.  She  looked  so  sweet  that  the 


HOW  SHE  PLAYED  WITH  CHILDREN    35 

Prince's  heart  went  out  to  her  more 
than  to  either  of  the  others ;  but  he  was 
afraid  after  what  had  passed,  and  waited 
for  the  hour  of  the  hair-curling.  When 
that  came,  he  was  going  toward  the 
window,  when  there  passed  him  a 
young  maiden  running,  with  her  face  all 
in  a  glow  of  happiness. 

"  '  Whither    away    so    fast,    pretty 
maid  ?  '  asked  the  Prince. 

*  Do  not  stay  me ! '  said  the  maid. 

*  I  go  to  curl  the  Princess's  hair,  and  I 
must  not  be  late,  for  it  is  the  happiest 
hour  of  my  day/ 

*  Is     it     so  ? '     said     the    Prince. 

*  Then  will  you  tell  the  Princess  that 
when  her  hair  is  curled  I  pray  that  she 
will  marry  me  ?  ' 

"  And  so  she  did,  children,  of  course, 


36  GRANDMOTHER 

and  they  had  a  happy  day  for  every 
thread  of  her  brown-gold  hair,  so  I  am 
told,  and  there  were  were  so  many 
threads,  I  think  they  must  be  alive  to 
this  day." 

And  the  bird  stories !  and  the  story 
of  how  the  butterfly's  wings  were 
spotted  !  and  the  flower  stories  !  I  don't 
suppose  there  was  a  child  in  the  village 
in  those  days  who  did  not  believe  that 
at  night  all  the  flowers  in  Grandfather 
Merion's  garden  were  dancing  round 
the  fairy  ring  in  the  home  pasture. 

"  And  Sweet  William  said  to  Clove 
Pink,  *  How  sweet  the  fringe  on  your 
gown  is !  Will  you  dance  with  me, 
pretty  lady  ? '  So  they  danced  away 
and  away,  and  they  met  Bachelor's 
Button  waltzing  with  Cowslip,  ajid 


HOW  SHE  PLAYED  WITH  CHILDREN    37 

young  Larkspur  kicking  up  his  heels 
with  Poppy  Gay,  and  Prince's  Feather 
bowing  low  before  sweet  white  Lily 
in  her  satin  gown,  and  Crown  Imperial 
leading  out  Queen  Rose  —  oh  !  but 
she  was  a  queen  indeed !  And  the 
music  played  —  such  music !  the  locust 
went  tweedle,  tweedle,  tweedle,  and 
the  cricket  went  chirp,  chirp,  chirp, 
and  the  big  green  frog  that  played  the 
bass  viol  said  *  glum  !  glum  !  glum  ! ' 
And  they  danced  —  oh,  they  danced  ! 

"  Whirl  about,  twirl  about,  hop,  hop, 
hop!  till  —  hush!  something  happened. 
Oh !  children,  come  close  while  I 
whisper.  The  green  turf  of  the  Ring 
trembled  and  shook  —  and  opened  — 
and  —  oh  !  off  go  the  flowers  scamper- 
ing back  to  bed  as  fast  as  they  can  go ; 


38  GRANDMOTHER 

and  in  their  places  —  oh!  hush!  oh, 
hush !  I  must  not  tell. 

"  Green  jacket,  red  cap,  and  white  owl's 
feather ! 

Little  lights  that  twinkle,  little  bells 
that  jingle,  little  feet  that  trip,  trip  - 

"  Hush,  children  !  we  must  not  look. 
Home  again,  we  too,  after  the  flowers  ! " 

And  she  would  catch  their  hands 
and  run  with  them  round  and  round 
the  field  till  all  were  out  of  breath  with 
running  and  laughter. 

The  Saturday  feasts  were  begun, 
Anne  Peace  reminded  me,  for  the  little 
lame  girl  who  lived  a  mile  beyond  the 
village.  The  poor  little  soul  had 
heard  of  all  the  merry  play  that  went 


HOW  SHE  PLAYED  WITH  CHILDREN   39 

on  at  Merion  Farm,  and  had  begged 
her  father  to  bring  her  in.  So  one  day 
a  long  lean  tattered  man  came  to  the 
gate  and  looked  wistfully  in  at  Grand- 
mother, who  was  making  daisy  chains 
against  the  children's  coming. 

"  Mornin' !  "  he  said.  "  Mis'  Mer- 
ion to  home  ?  " 

'  Yes,"  said  Grandmother ;  "at 
least  I  am  here.  Would  you  like  some- 
thing?" 

"  I  swow !  "  said  the  man.  He  looked 
helplessly  at  the  girlish  figure  a  moment. 
Then  —  "  My  little  gal  heard  tell  how 
that  you  told  yarns  to  young  'uns,  and 
nothin'  to  it  but  I  must  fetch  her  in. 
She  —  she  ain't  very  well  —  "  his  rough 
voice  faltered,  and  he  looked  back  to 
his  wagon. 


40  GRANDMOTHER 

"  Is  she  there  ?  "  cried  Grandmother. 
"  Oh,  but  bring  her  in !  bring  her  in 
quickly !  why,  you  darling,  I  am  so 
glad  you  have  come." 

A  poor  little  huddle  of  humanity; 
hunchbacked,  with  the  strange  stead- 
fast eyes  of  her  kind,  —  wise  with 
their  own  knowledge,  which  is  apart 
from  all  knowledge  revealed  to  those 
whose  backs  are  straight,  —  lame,  too, 
drawn  and  twisted  this  way  and  that, 
as  if  Nature  had  been  a  naughty  child 
playing  with  a  doll,  tormenting  it  in 
sheer  wantonness, 

A  piteous  sight;  and  still  more 
piteous  the  shrinking  look  of  her  and 
of  the  poor  gaunt  wistful  father,  watch- 
ful for  a  rebuff,  a  smile,  some  one  of 
the  devilishly  cruel  tricks  that  hu- 


HOW  SHE  PLAYED  WITH  CHILDREN   41 

manity  startles  into  when  it  touches 
the  unusual. 

But  Grandmother's  arms  were  out, 
and  Grandmother's  face  was  shining 
with  clear  light,  like  an  alabaster  lamp. 
Oh,  one  would  know  that  her  name 
was  Pity,  even  though  none  used  the 
name  now,  even  Manuel,  even  Grand- 
father himself  calling  her  Grand- 
mother. 

"  Darling !  "  she  said,  and  she  hugged 
the  child  close  to  her,  as  if  she  would 
shield  it  from  all  the  world.  "  Here  is 
a  daisy  chain  for  you.  See !  I  will  put 
it  round  your  neck.  Now  you  are  mine 
for  the  whole  afternoon.  Good  father 
will  go  —  "  she  nodded  to  the  man ; 
"  go  and  do  the  errands,  and  see  to  all 
his  business,  and  then  when  it  gets 


42  GRANDMOTHER 

toward  supper-time  he  will  come  back 
and  pick  you  up  and  carry  you  off. 
And  now  we'll  go  and  make  some  posies 
for  the  others;  my  name  is  Grand- 
mother ;  what  is  yours,  darling  ?  whis- 
per now ! " 

The  man  turned  away,  and  brushed 
his  hand  across  his  eyes.  "  Gosh !  " 
he  said  simply.  "  I  guess  you're  a 
good  woman." 

"  I'm  just  Grandmother,"  said  the 
girl ;  "  that's  all,  isn't  it,  Nelly  ?  Good- 
bye, father !  " 

"  Good-bye,  father ! "  echoed  the 
child,  clinging  round  Grandmother's 
neck  as  though  she  feared  she  might 
vanish  suddenly  into  thin  air. 

"  Sure  she  won't  pester  ye  ?  "  said 
the  man,  timidly.  "  She's  real  clever  !  " 


HOW  SHE  PLAYED  WITH  CHILDREN   43 

"  You  won't  pester  me,  will  you, 
Nelly  ?  "  said  Grandmother. 

"  Nelly  Nell,  Nelly  Nell, 
Come  and  hear  the  flowers  tell 
How  they  heed  you, 
Why  they  need  you, 
How  they  mean  to  love  you  well." 

And  off  they  went  together,  little 
Nelly  nodding  and  waving  her  hand, 
with  a  wholly  new  smile  on  her  pale 
shrivelled  face. 

"Gosh!"  said  the  father  again; 
he  had  not  many  words,  and  only  one 
to  express  emotion. 

When  the  other  children  came,  they 
found  a  little  girl  with  a  radiant  face, 
crowned  with  a  forget-me-not  wreath, 
and  with  the  prettiest  pale  blue  scarf 


44  GRANDMOTHER 

over  her  shoulders,  all  embroidered 
with  butterflies.  She  was  sitting  in  a 
low  round  chair  with  cushioned  back, 
and  chair  and  cushion  and  child  were 
all  heaped  and  garlanded  with  flowers, 
daisies  and  lilies,  pink  hawthorn  and 
great  drifts  of  snowballs. 

Grandmother  called  to  them,  "  Come 
children,  come !  here  is  the  Queen  of 
the  May.  Her  name  is  Nelly,  and  she 
has  come  to  stay  to  tea,  and  you  shall 
all  stay  too." 

The  children  came  up  half  shy, 
half  bold. 

'  What  makes  her  sit  so  funny  ?  " 
asked  a  very  little  boy. 

"  You  be  still  or  I'll  bat  your  head 
off !  "  muttered  his  elder  brother  sav- 
agely. No  one  else  made  any  mistake, 


HOW  SHE  PLAYED  WITH  CHILDREN   45 

and  most  of  them  were  careful  not  to 
look  too  much  at  Nelly;  children  are 
gentlefolk,  if  you  take  them  the  right 
way. 

Then  they  listened  to  the  story  of 
the  princess  in  the  brown  dress;  how 
she  came  into  the  town,  and  no  one 
knew  she  was  a  princess  at  all,  but 
every  one  said,  "  See  the  poor  woman 
in  the  tattered  brown  gown !  "  But 
the  princess  did  not  mind.  She  went 
hither  and  thither,  up  and  down,  and 
whenever  she  met  any  one  who  was  in 
need,  she  put  her  hand  inside  the 
folds  of  her  gown,  and  brought  out  a 
piece  of  gold  or  a  shining  jewel,  and 
gave  it  to  the  poor  person.  So  when 
this  had  gone  on  for  some  time,  people 
began  to  talk  one  to  another.  One 


46  GRANDMOTHER 

said,  "  Where  does  this  beggar  woman 

get   the  gold   and   the  gems   that  she 

•       *\  j> 
gives  ? 

"  She  must  have  begged  them ! " 
said  another. 

"  Or  stolen  them !  "  said  a  third. 

Then  all  the  people  cried  out,  "  She 
is  a  thief !  let  her  be  stripped  and 
beaten !  " 

So  they  brought  the  princess  to  the 
market-place;  and  cruel  men  seized 
her  and  pulled  off  her  tattered  brown 
gown ;  and  oh !  and  oh !  children, 
what  do  you  think?  there  stood  the 
most  radiant  princess  that  ever  was 
seen  upon  earth ;  her  dress  was  of  pure 
woven  gold,  and  set  from  top  to  hem 
with  precious  stones  so  bright  that  the 
sun  laughed  in  every  one  of  them,  and 


HOW  SHE  PLAYED  WITH  CHILDREN   47 

her  hair  (for  they  had  pulled  off  her 
cap  too)  was  as  fair  gold  as  the  dress, 
and  fell  around  her  like  a  golden  cloak. 
So  she  stood  for  a  minute  like  heaven 
come  to  earth;  and  then  all  in  a 
moment  she  vanished  away,  and  only 
the  tattered  brown  dress  was  left  for 
them  to  do  what  they  would  with. 

"  So,  darlings,  be  very  careful  to  be 
nice  to  everybody,  especially  to  any- 
one in  a  shabby  brown  dress,  for  there 
may  always  be  a  princess  inside  it." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  a  princess,  Grand- 
mother ?  "  asked  a  child. 

"  Oh,  I  so  seldom  see  any  other  kind 
of  person,"  said  Grandmother,  "  ex- 
cept princes.  You  have  no  idea  how 
many  I  know.  No,  I  can't  tell  you 
their  names;  you'll  have  to  find  them 


48  GRANDMOTHER 

out  for  yourselves;  and  now  it  is  time 
for  a  game." 

They  were  quiet  games  that  they 
played  that  afternoon;  but  as  the 
children  said  afterwards,  some  of  the 
best  games  are  quiet.  And  then  came 
the  Feast;  a  wonderful  feast,  with  a 
great  jug  of  creamy  milk,  and  all  the 
bread  and  honey  that  any  one  could  eat, 
and  little  round  tarts  besides. 

"  Look  at  that !  "  said  Rachel  to 
Manuel.  They  had  been  for  a  walk, 
and  came  back  through  the  orchard, 
where  the  feast  was  held.  *  We  were 
going  to  have  those  tarts  for  tea,  and 
she  has  given  every  last  one  to  those 
brats.  That's  all  she  cares  for,  just 
childishness.  She's  nothing  but  a  child 
herself." 


HOW  SHE  PLAYED  WITH  CHILDREN   49 

"  Nothing  but  a  child ! "  echoed 
Manuel,  and  he  added,  "  She  has 
never  lived;  sometimes  I  think  she 
never  will." 


CHAPTER  IV 

HOW  SHE    SANG  GRANDFATHER  TO 
SLEEP 

GRANDFATHER  began  to  fail.  He 
complained  of  no  pain  or  distress; 
but  his  stately  figure  seemed  to  shrink, 
and  his  head  that  he  used  to  hold  so 
high  was  now  bowed  on  his  breast, 
and  he  began  to  creep  and  shuffle  in 
his  walk.  Widow  Peace  said  the 
change  had  begun  when  he  came  back 
from  the  vain  search  for  his  graceless 
son,  and  I  think  it  was  true.  "  He 
won't  more  than  last  out  the  winter," 
said  Mrs.  Peace,  :<  if  he  does  that. 

50 


SANG   GRANDFATHER   TO    SLEEP     51 

The  Merions  don't  run  much  above 
seventy." 

"  Don't,  mother !  "  said  Anne. 

"  Don'ting  won't  stop  the  course  of 
nature,"  said  her  mother,  "  nor  yet  is 
it  proper  you  should  say  '  Don't '  to  me, 
Anne  Peace." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  mother ;  I 
meant  no  harm." 

"  No  more  you  did,  daughter.  You 
may  hand  me  the  tape  measure.  Anne, 
if  you  can  tell  me  how  to  cut  this  dress 
so  as  to  make  Mis'  Broadback  look 
like  anything  besides  Behemoth  in  the 
Bible  I  shall  be  obliged  to  you." 

'  You're  real  funny,  mother !  "  said 
Anne,  who  never  quite  understood  her 
parent. 

"  Fun  keeps  the  fiddle  going !  "  said 


52  GRANDMOTHER 

Mrs.  Peace.  '  You  may  cut  them 
gores  if  you're  a  mind  to,  Anne. 
There's  Rachel  and  Manuel  goin'  off 
again.  S'pose  they're  goin'  to  make  a 
match  of  it?" 

"  Oh,  mother !  "  said  little  Anne. 

*' '  Oh,'  said  the  owl,  and  set  up  a  hootin', 
But  Jabez    kept   still    when   he   done   the 
shootin'." 

What  does  Grandmother  do  these  days  ? 
I  haven't  seen  her  go  out  of  the  gate 
for  a  week  and  more.  You  were  over 
this  morning,  wasn't  you  ?  " 

'  Yes,"  said  Anne.  "  Oh,  mother, 
she  just  sits  by  Grandfather  all  the 
time  —  when  her  work  is  done,  that's 
to  say;  Grandmother  never  slights 
anything;  sits  by  him  all  day,  reading 


SANG    GRANDFATHER   TO    SLEEP     53 

to  him  when  he's  awake,  or  talking, 
or  singing  those  little  songs  he  likes; 
and  when  he  drops  off  asleep  she  just 
reaches  for  her  sewing  and  sits  and 
waits  till  he  wakes  up.  And  she's 
growing  so  white  and  thin  —  there  !  it 
just  makes  me  ache  to  see  her.  I  said 
to  her  *  Grandmother,'  I  said,  '  when 
he  drops  off  asleep  that  way,  you'd 
ought  to  slip  out  into  the  garden  for  a 
mouthful  of  air,  even  if  you  don't  go 
no  further.  Rachel  can  stay  round,' 
I  said,  '  case  he  should  want  anything,' 
I  said.  But  she  just  shook  her  head. 
'  No,  Anne ! '  she  says.  *  I  must  be 
here,'  she  says.  *  He  has  been  so  good 
to  me;  so  good  to  me;  he  must 
always  find  me  here  when  he  wants 
me.' 


54  GRANDMOTHER 

"  And  sure  enough,  mother,  directly 
he  woke  up,  before  he  opened  his 
eyes  he  says  '  You  here,  Grand- 
mother ?  '  kinder  restless  like,  and  she 
says  *  Yes,  Grandfather,  right  here ! ' 
and  laid  her  hand  on  his  and  began 
to  sing,  and  he  smiled  real  happy  and 
contented,  said  he  didn't  want  anything 
except  just  to  know  that  she  was  there. 
But,  mother,  'tis  a  sweet  pretty  sight 
now,  to  see  them  two  together.  Of 
course  he's  an  old  man  and  she's  a 
young  girl,  but  yet  —  well,  they  aren't 
like  other  folks,  neither  one  of  them. 
What  makes  you  look  like  that, 
mother  ?  " 

"  Nobody  ever  was  like  other  folks 
that  ever  I  heard  of,"  said  Widow 
Peace  rather  grimly.  "  Now  you  be 


SANG   GRANDFATHER   TO    SLEEP     55 

quiet,     Anne     Peace.       Here     comes 
Rachel." 

Rachel  Merion  came  flying  in,  splen- 
did in  her  scarlet  dress.  "  How  do, 
Mis'  Peace  ?  "  she  said.  "  Anne,  will 
you  lend  me  that  mantilla  pattern? 
I  want  to  make  one  out  of  some  of 
that  black  lace  Grandmother  Willard 
had.  Will  you,  Anne?  hurry  up,  I 
can't  wait." 

Mrs.  Peace  looked  at  her  with  mild 
severity.  "  Rachel,"  she  said ;  "  sit 
down  a  spell.  I  want  to  speak  to  you." 

"Oh,  I  can't,  Mis'  Peace!"  said 
Rachel.  "  Manuel's  waiting  for  me 
outside." 

*  Manuel  can  wait,"  said  Mrs.  Peace. 
"  It'll  do  him  good.  Sit  down, 
Rachel !  " 


56  GRANDMOTHER 

"  I'd  full  as  lives  stand,  thank  you," 
said  Rachel  sullenly. 

"  I  asked  you  to  sit  down,"  said 
Mrs.  Peace  quietly;  and  Rachel  sat 
down  with  a  flounce  on  the  edge  of  a 
chair,  and  listened  with  lowering  brows. 

"  I  want  to  speak  to  you  about 
Grandmother,"  said  the  little  widow. 
"  She  isn't  well;  Anne  sees  it,  and  I 
see  it.  She's  outdoing  her  strength, 
caring  for  Grandfather  all  day  long, 
and  I  think  you'd  ought  to  help  her 
more  than  what  you  do." 

Rachel's  eyes  flashed  under  their 
black  brows. 

"  She  wanted  him,"  she  said,  "  and 
she  got  him;  now  let  her  see  to  him. 
I  don't  feel  no  call  to  take  care  of 
Grandfather;  he  isn't  my  husband." 


SANG   GRANDFATHER   TO   SLEEP     57 

Anne's  soft  eyes  glowed  with  in- 
dignation. She  was  about  to  speak, 
her  mother  motioned  her  to  silence. 
"  Rachel  Merion,"  she  said.  "  You'd 
ought  to  be  slapped,  and  I've  a  good 
part  of  a  mind  to  do  it.  You're  careless 
and  shiftless,  and  heathen;  and  you'll 
neither  do  good  nor  get  it  in  this  world 
till  you  get  a  human  heart  in  your 
bosom.  Grandmother  is  worth  twenty 
of  you,  and  I  pay  her  no  compliment 
either  in  saying  it;  it  shows  what  she 
is,  that  she  has  put  up  with  your 
actions  so  long.  I  wouldn't  have,  not  a 
single  week.  I'd  have  drove  you  out 
with  a  broomstick,  Rachel,  and  give 
you  time  to  learn  manners  before  I  let 
you  in  again.  There !  now  I've  said 
my  say,  and  you  can  go." 


58  GRANDMOTHER 

As  Anne  said,  it  was  a  pretty  sight 
there,  in  the  Merion  kitchen.  The 
good  old  man  sat  in  his  great  armchair, 
dozing  or  dreaming  the  hours  away, 
less  and  less  inclined  to  stir  as  the  weeks 
went  on;  and  always  beside  him  was 
the  slight  figure  in  the  clear  print  dress, 
watching,  waiting,  tending ;  yes,  it  was 
pretty  enough. 

"  Sing,  Grandmother !  "  he  would 
say  now  and  then;  and  Grandmother 
would  sing  in  her  low  sweet  voice,  like 
a  flute: 

"  Sweet  sleep  to  fold  me, 
Sweet  dreams  to  hold  me; 
Listen,  oh !  listen  ! 
This  the  angels  told  me. 
Fair  grow  the  trees  there, 
Soft  blows  the  breeze  there, 


SANG    GRANDFATHER   TO   SLEEP     59 

Golden  ways,  golden  days, 
When  will  ye  enfold  me  ?  " 

Or  that  quaint  little  old  song  that  he 
specially  liked: 

"  As  I  went  walking,  walking, 
I  heard  St.  Michael  talking, 
He  spoke  to  sweet  St.  Gabriel, 
The  one  who  loves  my  soul  so  well, 

'  Oh,  brother,  tell  me  here, 
Why  hold  that  soul  so  dear  ?  ' 

*  Because,  alas,  since  e'er  'twas  born, 
I  feel  the  piercing  of  its  thorn.' ' 

Or  it  would  be  the  song  of  the  river, 
and  that  she  loved  to  sing,  because 
Grandfather  would  fall  asleep  to  the 
soft  lulling  time  of  it: 

"  Flow,  flow,  flow  down  river, 
Carry  me  down  to  the  sea ! 


60  GRANDMOTHER 

Ropes  of  silk  and  a  cedar  paddle, 
For  to  set  my  spirit  free. 
Roll,  roll,  rolling  billow; 
Smooth,  smooth  my  sleepy  pillow: 
Silver  sails  and  a  cedar  paddle, 
For  to  set  my  spirit  free ! 

"  Long,  long  work  and  weeping, 
Trying  for  to  do  my  best: 
Soon,  soon,  time  for  sleeping; 
Cover  me  up  to  rest ! 
Roll,  roll,  rolling  billow, 
Smooth,  smooth  my  sleepy  pillow, 
Golden  masts  and  a  cedar  paddle, 
For  to  set  my  spirit  free  !  " 

One  day  she  was  singing  this,  softer 
and  softer,  till  she  thought  Grandfather 
was  fast  asleep.  Lower  and  lower 
sank  the  lulling  voice,  till  at  length  it 
died  away  in  a  sigh.  Then  she  sat 


SANG    GRANDFATHER   TO    SLEEP     61 

silent,  looking  at  him;  at  the  good 
white  head,  the  broad  forehead,  with 
its  strong  lines  of  toil  and  thought,  all 
the  kind  face  that  she  knew  and  loved 
well  now.  She  sighed  again,  not 
knowing  that  she  did;  and  at  that 
Grandfather  opened  his  eyes  without 
stirring  and  looked  at  her  —  oh,  so 
kindly ! 

'  Little  Grandmother,"  he  said. 
'  You  know  I  am  going  soon  ?  " 

'  Yes,  Grandfather !  "  said  she. 

'  You  have  been  a  good,  good 
child,"  said  Grandfather;  "  a  good 
and  faithful  child,  and  when  I  go  my 
blessing  stays  with  you.  You  are 
young,  and  I  want  you  to  be  happy. 
Perhaps  you  will  like  to  marry  Manuel, 
my  dear  ?  " 


62  GRANDMOTHER 

Grandmother  lifted  her  clear  eyes 
to  his. 

'  Yes,  Grandfather !  "  she  said. 

*  He  is  not  good  enough  for  you," 
said  Grandfather,  "  but  —  well !  well ! 
you  are  both  young,  both  young,  and 
youth  is  a  great  thing.  I  was  young 
myself  —  a  long,  long  time  ago,  my 
dear."  He  was  silent. 

Grandmother  knelt  down  beside  him, 
and  took  his  hand  in  her  own  two, 
stroking  it  and  singing  softly. 

"  Silver  sails  and  a  cedar  paddle, 
For  to  set  my  spirit  free." 

Presently  he  looked  up,  and  spoke 
hurriedly,  in  a  strange,  confused  voice. 

"  Mary !  "  he  said.  "  Are  you 
there?" 


SANG   GRANDFATHER   TO   SLEEP     63 

Now  Mary  was  the  name  of  the  wife 
of  his  youth.  Grandmother  was  silent. 

"  Are  you  there,  Mary  ?  "  asked  the 
old  man  impatiently.  "  'Tis  so  dark 
I  can't  see  you." 

"  Yes,  I  am  here ! "  said  Grand- 
mother. 

"  'Tis  time  to  light  up  !  "  said  Grand- 
father. *  We  mustn't  sit  here  in  the 
dark  like  old  folks,  Mary.  Let  me 
get  up  and  light  the  lamps." 

The  afternoon  light  fell  clear  on  his 
face  with  its  open  sightless  eyes,  and 
on  the  angel  face  turned  up  to  it  in 
faithful  love. 

*  Wait  just  a  little,  John,"  said 
Grandmother.  "I  —  I  love  the  twi- 
light ;  'tis  restful.  Let  —  let  me  rest 
a  bit  before  we  light  up,  won't  you  ?  " 


64  GRANDMOTHER 

"  Surely,  Mary ;  surely,  my  dear. 
We'll  rest  together  then ;  I  —  I  am 
tired  too,  I  —  think." 

There  was  a  long  silence.  The  light 
was  growing  softer,  fainter;  the  old 
clock  ticked  steadily;  a  coal  tinkled 
from  the  fire. 

"  Mary  —  you  are  there  ?  "  . 

"  Yes,  dear !  " 

"  Song  —  the  sleepy  song ;  I  think  I 
shall  sleep." 

Hush !  rest,  dear  white  head,  on  my 
breast;  close,  poor  eyes  that  cannot 
see  the  light.  Rest,  rest,  in  the  quiet 
twilight ! 

"  Roll,  roll,  rolling  billow, 
Smooth,  smooth  my  sleepy  pillow, 
Golden  mast  and  a  cedar  paddle, 
For  to  set  my  spirit  free !  " 


CHAPTER  V 

HOW  THE   SECOND   LINE   CAME    IN   HER 
FOREHEAD 

IT  was  when  Grandfather  died  that 
the  second  line  came  across  Grand- 
mother's clear  forehead.  Sometimes  — 
when  she  was  playing  with  the  children, 
for  example  —  it  was  so  faint  one 
hardly  noticed  it;  but  again  it  would 
be  deep,  a  line  of  thought  —  or  was  it 
pain  ?  —  drawn  straight  as  by  a  ruler. 
Manuel  noticed  it  one  day,  and  spoke 
of  it. 

*  You  look  troubled,  Grandmother. 
What  is  it?" 

66 


"  I  have  lost  my  best  friend,  Man- 
uel," said  Grandmother.  "  I  may  well 
look  troubled;  yet  it  is  not  trouble 
either,  only  sorrow,  for  missing  him, 
and  for  wishing  I  had  done  more  for 
him." 

"  No  one  could  have  done  more," 
said  Manuel;  'you  were  an  angel  to 
him."  He  was  silent  a  moment;  then 
he  said,  "  You  used  to  call  me  your  best 
friend  —  once.  Shall  I  call  you  Pitia 
again,  Grandmother  ?  " 

Something  in  his  tone  —  or  was  it 
something  not  there  ?  —  drew  the  line 
deeper  across  the  white  forehead.  She 
waited  a  moment  before  she  spoke,  and 
then  answered  carefully,  keeping  an 
even  tone: 

"  Perhaps  '  Grandmother '  is  better, 


THE  SECOND  LINE  IN  HER  FOREHEAD  67 

Manuel;  we  are  all  used  to  it,  you 
know.  Why  should  we  change  ?  " 

"  As  you  please !  "  said  Manuel ; 
and  whether  there  was  more  regret 
or  relief  in  his  voice,  who  shall  say  ? 
He  lingered  a  moment,  hesitating,  with 
words  on  his  lips  which  seemed  to  hang, 
unready  for  utterance;  and  Grand- 
mother stood  very  still,  only  her  breath 
fluttering  a  little;  but  he  need  not  see 
that,  and  did  not. 

Suddenly  from  the  garden  came  a 
voice,  clear,  shrill,  imperious ;  Rachel's 
voice.  "  Manuel,  where  are  you  ?  I 
want  you  !  come,  quick." 

Manuel  gave  one  glance  at  the  still 
face;  hesitated  a  moment;  then  mut- 
tering something  about  "  Back  soon !  " 
he  went  out. 


68  GRANDMOTHER 

Little  Grandmother  stood  very  still. 
Sounds  crept  through  her  ears,  —  the 
clock  ticking,  the  old  cat  purring  on 
the  hearth,  the  song-sparrow  singing 
loud  and  clear  in  the  apple-tree  out- 
side the  sitting-room  window, --but 
she  did  not  heed  them.  Her  eyes  were 
wide  open,  fixed  on  the  door  through 
which  Manuel  had  gone.  It  formed  a 
lovely  picture,  blossoming  trees,  waving 
grass  (winter  had  come  and  gone  since 
Grandfather  died),  gay  flower-beds; 
but  she  did  not  see  them.  Only  when 
two  figures  crossed  the  space,  a  girl  in 
a  scarlet  dress,  a  man  at  her  side,  look- 
ing down  as  she  laughed  up  in  his  face, 
Grandmother  shivered  a  little,  and 
went  over  to  where  the  great  work- 
basket  stood,  and  caught  up  her  sewing 


THE  SECOND  LINE  IN  HER  FOREHEAD  69 

with  a  kind  of  passion.  !<  I  have  you  I  " 
she  said.  "  You  are  mine,  good  lit- 
tle stitches  dear,  kind,  good  little 
stitches  I  " 

If  I  have  not  said  much  about 
Manuel,  it  is  because  there  is  not 
very  much  to  say.  He  was  a  hand- 
some lad,  and  a  merry  one.  His  laziness 
did  not  show  much  till  after  Grand- 
father's death,  for  he  feared  and  loved 
the  old  man,  and  did  his  best  to  please 
him.  How  he  should  have  made  the 
effort  to  cross  the  Continent  in  search 
of  Grandmother  was  one  of  the  things 
that  could  not  be  understood.  It  was 
like  a  fire  of  straw,  as  Mrs.  Peace 
said;  it  burned  up  bright,  but  there 
were  no  coals  left. 

Mrs.  Peace  had  little  patience  with 


70  GRANDMOTHER 

Manuel.  He  had  been  boarding  with 
her  now  for  two  years,  and  had  never 
once,  so  she  said,  wiped  his  feet  as 
they  should  be  wiped  when  he  came 
into  the  house.  Also  she  pronounced 
him  lazy,  shiftless,  careless,  and  selfish. 

"  If  he  marries  Rachel,"  she  said, 
:*  there'll  be  a  pair  of  'em,  and  a 
precious  pair,  too.  I'm  going  to  give 
him  a  piece  of  my  mind  before  I  sleep 
to-night." 

'  That's  a  real  pretty  skirt  of 
Rachel's,  mother,"  said  Anne.  '  Don't 
you  want  I  should  stroke  the  gathers  ?  " 

*  You  may  stroke  the  gathers,  Anne, 
but  you  can't  stroke  me,"  said  her 
mother  gently.  "  I  tell  you  I  am  going 
to  give  that  fellow  a  piece  of  my  mind. 
Yes,  it  is  a  pretty  dress,  and  it's  the 


THE  SECOND  LINE  IN  HER  FOREHEAD  71 

third  Rachel  Merion  has  had  this 
spring,  and  if  you'll  tell  me  when 
Grandmother  has  had  a  new  dress, 
I'll  give  you  the  next  ninepence  that's 
coined." 

"  Grandmother  always  looks  like  a 
picture,  I'm  sure,"  said  Anne. 

"  I've  no  special  patience  with 
Grandmother,"  said  Mrs.  Peace,  "  nor 
yet  with  you,  Anne  Peace.  If  the  Lord 
had  meant  for  us  to  be  angels  here, 
it's  likely  he  would  have  provided  us 
with  wings  and  robes,  'cordin'  to. 
When  I  see  an  angel  in  a  calico  dress 
goin'  round  askin*  folks  won't  they 
please  wipe  their  feet  on  her  and  save 
their  carpets,  I  want  to  shake  her." 

"  Shake  Grandmother  ?  "  said  Anne, 
opening  great  eyes  of  reproach. 


72  GRANDMOTHER 

"  There's  Manuel  now ! "  said 
Widow  Peace.  '  You  might  take  this 
waist  home  to  Mis'  Wyman,  if  you've 
a  mind  to,  Anne." 

It  is  not  known  precisely  what  Mrs. 
Peace  said  to  Manuel  Santos.  Anne, 
on  her  return  from  Mrs.  Wyman's,  met 
him  coming  out,  in  a  white  flame  of 
rage.  He  glared  at  her,  and  muttered 
something  under  his  breath,  but  made 
no  articulate  reply. 

"  Chatterin'  mad,  he  was !  "  Mrs. 
Peace  said  calmly,  in  answer  to  Anne's 
anxious  questions.  '  Fairly  chatterin' 
mad.  I  don't  know,  Anne,  whether 
I've  done  harm  or  good,  but  some- 
thing had  to  be  done,  and  there's 
times  when  harm  is  better  than  noth- 
ing." 


THE  SECOND  LINE  IN  HER  FOREHEAD  73 

'  Why,  Mother  Peace !  "  exclaimed 
Anne,  aghast.  "  How  you  talk !  " 

"  It  don't  sound  pretty,  does  it  ?  " 
said  the  widow ;  ;<  but  I  believe  it's 
a  fact.  Something  will  happen  now, 
you  see  if  it  don't." 

Something  did  happen.  Manuel, 
still  white  and  inarticulate  with  rage, 
met  Rachel  in  the  garden,  on  his  way 
to  the  house;  Rachel  in  her  red  dress, 
with  scarlet  poppies  in  her  hair  and 
hands.  She  was  waiting  for  him,  per- 
haps; certainly,  at  sight  of  him,  the 
color  and  light  flashed  into  her  face  in 
a  way  that  might  have  moved  a  stronger 
man  than  Manuel. 

"Manuel!"  she  cried.  "What's 
the  matter  ?  what  makes  you  look  so 
queer  ?  are  you  sick,  Manuel  ?  " 


74  GRANDMOTHER 

'  Yes  !  "  cried  the  man  roughly.  "  I 
am  sick !  sick  of  this  place,  sick  of 
these  people.  I  am  going  away,  back 
to  the  west,  where  a  man  can  live  with- 
out being  watched  and  spied  upon  and 
stung  by  ants  and  wasps.'* 

"  Going  away  !  Manuel !  "  the  pop- 
pies dropped  from  the  girl's  hands,  the 
rich  color  fled  from  her  cheeks.  "  If 
you  go,"  she  said  simply,  "  I  shall  die." 
Rachel  had  never  learned  to  govern 
herself. 

Well,  after  that  there  was  only  one 
way  out  of  it  —  at  least  for  a  man  like 
Manuel.  Among  all  these  cold,  thin- 
blooded  Eastern  folk,  here  was  one 
whose  blood  ran  warm  and  swift  and 
red  like  his  own.  No  satin  lily  that  a 
man  dared  not  touch,  but  a  bright 


THE  SECOND  LINE  IN  HER  FOREHEAD  75 

poppy  like  those  in  her  hair,  fit  and 
ready  to  be  gathered.  Yet  when  he 
passed  the  white  lilies,  with  his  arm 
round  the  girl,  his  promised  wife  —  even 
while  he  looked  down  at  the  rapture  of 
her  face  and  thrilled  at  the  thrill  in  her 
voice  —  the  fragrance  of  the  lilies 
seemed  a  tangible  thing,  like  a  thorn 
that  pierced  him. 

At  the  garden  door  they  parted.  He 
had  to  see  to  the  stock,  he  said ;  would 
Rachel  tell  Grandmother? 

Rachel  ran  into  the  house,  calling 
Grandmother.  There  was  no  answer; 
but  listening  she  heard  the  sound  of  the 
wheel  in  the  big  empty  chamber  over- 
head. She  ran  up-stairs,  still  calling. 
Grandmother  was  spinning  wool  —  she 
loved  to  spin  —  at  the  great  wool- 


76  GRANDMOTHER 

wheel,  stepping  lightly  back  and  for- 
ward ;  but  at  the  first  sound  of  Rachel's 
voice  below  she  stopped,  and  put  her 
hand  to  her  heart.  She  was  standing 
so  when  the  girl  rushed  in,  panting 
and  radiant. 

"  Grandmother !  why  didn't  you 
answer  ?  didn't  you  hear  me  ?  "  She 
never  waited  for  an  answer  but  ran  on 
in  a  torrent  of  speech.  "  Grand- 
mother, I've  been  hateful  to  you,  and 
I'm  sorry.  Do  you  hear?  I'm  sorry, 
sorry;  I'm  so  happy  now,  I  mean  to 
be  good,  good  all  the  time.  Do  you 
know  what's  going  to  happen,  Grand- 
mother ?  guess !  I'll  give  you  three 
guesses  —  no,  I  won't,  I  won't  give 
you  one !  I  must  tell  you.  I  am  going 
to  marry  Manuel.  Grandmother,  are 


THE  SECOND  LINE  IN  HER  FOREHEAD  77 

you  glad  ?  You  are  so  good,  I  suppose 
you'll  be  glad.  I  should  hate  you,  I 
should  kill  you,  if  it  were  you  who  were 
going  to  marry  Manuel.  Do  you 
know "  —  she  caught  her  breath  a 
moment,  then  laughed  on,  the  laugh 
rippling  through  her  speech — "do 
you  know,  Grandmother,  I  have  been 
jealous  of  you.  I've  always  been 
jealous  I  guess;  first  because  of 
Grandfather  —  poor  old  Grandfather, 
what  a  pity  he  isn't  alive  to  know !  - 
and  then  —  and  lately  —  oh,  Grand- 
mother, I  didn't  know  —  I  didn't  know 
but  he  might  care  about  you.  Are  you 
laughing  ?  it  is  funny,  isn't  it  ?  "  But 
Grandmother  was  not  laughing. 

"  I   might  have  known !  "    the  girl 
went  on,  "  I  needn't  have  been  afraid, 


78  GRANDMOTHER 

need  I,  Grandmother?  You  aren't 
like  other  folks,  you've  never  lived; 
you  don't  know  what  life  is,  do  you, 
Grandmother  ?  I'd  be  sorry  for  you  if 
I  wasn't  so  glad  for  myself,  so  glad,  so 
glad !  Do  you  think  I'm  crazy  ?  I 
want  to  kiss  you,  little  Grandmother ! 
What's  the  matter  ?  did  my  pin  scratch 

you?" 

Grandmother  had  given  a  cry  as  the 
girl  flung  her  arms  round  her;  a  little 
low  cry,  instantly  silent. 

'  Yes  —  dear,"  she  said  quietly,  but 
with  that  little  flutter  in  her  voice 
that  one  who  loved  her  might  have 
noticed;  "  I  think  it  must  have  been 
the  pin.  Oh,  Rachel,"  she  said,  "  I 
hope  you  will  be  so  happy,  so  happy ! 
I  hope  there  will  never  be  anything 


THE  SECOND  LINE  IN  HER  FOREHEAD  79 

but  happiness  for  you  and  Manuel,  my 
dear." 

Rachel  opened  her  dark  eyes  wide. 
"  Why,  of  course  there  won't !  "  she 
said. 

"  Grandmother's  all  right !  "  she  said 
an  hour  later,  when  she  had  run  to 
meet  her  lover  in  the  dewy  orchard, 
and  they  were  coming  home  together 
in  the  sunset  light;  "  she's  all  right. 
She  didn't  say  much  —  I  don't  know  as 
I  gave  her  a  chance,  Manuel.  I  had  so 
much  to  say  myself;  but  she  was  real 
pleased,  and  wished  me  joy.  She's 
good,  Grandmother  is.  I  mean  never 
to  be  hateful  to  her  again  if  I  can  help 
it.  How  sweet  those  lilies  smell, 
Manuel !  " 

"  Is  she  happy,  do  you  think  ?  "  said 


80  GRANDMOTHER 

Manuel;  it  seemed  to  say  itself,  with- 
out will  of  his. 

"  Who  ?  Grandmother  ?  of  course 
she  is !  You  don't  expect  her  to  cry 
all  her  life  for  an  old  man,  do  you  ? 
She's  as  happy  as  a  person  can  be  who 
has  never  lived.  Hush !  hear  her 
singing  this  minute  !  " 

Yes !  hear  her  singing,  in  the  quiet 
twilight  garden  where  she  walks  alone. 

"  '  Oh  !  brother,  tell  me  here 

Why  hold  that  soul  so  dear  ?  ' 
*  Because,  alas  !  since  e'er  'twas  born, 
I  feel  the  piercing  of  its  thorn.'  " 


CHAPTER  VI 

HOW   SHE   WENT  VISITING 

IT  was  after  Rachel's  marriage  that 
Grandmother  first  began  to  go  about 
in  the  village.  Till  then  she  had  always 
kept  pretty  much  within  the  four  walls 
of  the  Merion  garden,  and  people 
thought  she  was  proud,  until  they  came 
to  know  her.  But  now  a  restlessness 
seemed  to  come  over  her,  and  she  was 
away  from  home  a  good  deal.  She 
did  not  go  to  "  circles  "  and  meetings  - 
one  would  as  soon  have  expected  to 
see  a  white  birch  walk  into  the  vestry  - 
nor  did  she  make  what  we  loved  to  call 

81 


82  GRANDMOTHER 

"  society  calls ;  "  but  she  found  out  the 
people  who  were  sick  or  sad  or  lonely  - 
the  Peaces  always  knew  —  and  she 
went  to  them,  sometimes  with  Anne  to 
introduce  her,  oftener  alone,  making 
some  errand,  taking  a  flower,  or  a  pot 
of  jelly  or  the  like.  Old  Aunt  Betsy 
Taggart  was  living  then,  the  white  old 
woman  who  had  taken  to  her  bed  so 
long  ago  that  none  of  us  young  folks 
ever  knew  why  she  had  done  it.  In- 
deed, I  think  Anne  and  I  rather  sup- 
posed she  had  always  been  there  - 
grew  there,  perhaps,  like  some  strange 
old  white  flower.  She  was  the  most 
independent  old  soul,  Aunt  Betsy.  It 
seemed  terrible  for  her  to  live  there 
alone,  but  it  was  the  only  way  she 
would  live.  Her  niece,  Hepsy  Babbage, 


HOW   SHE   WENT   VISITING  83 

came  in  morning  and  evening,  and 
"  did  for  "  the  old  lady,  but  she  was 
not  allowed  to  stay  more  than  an  hour 
at  a  time.  *  My  soul  is  my  own," 
Aunt  Betsy  used  to  say,  "  and  I  like 
to  be  able  to  call  it  so,  my  dear !  " 
Hepsy  was  a  great  talker,  certainly; 
and  Aunt  Betsy  did  her  own  cooking 
over  a  lamp  that  stood  on  the  table  by 
her  bed,  and  actually  made  her  own 
butter  in  a  little  churn  that  Wilbur 
Babbage  made  for  her  the  winter  before 
he  died.  (Anne  Peace  never  would  let 
me  say  that  Wilbur  was  talked  to 
death,  but  she  could  not  prevent  her 
mother's  saying  so.) 

Well,  Grandmother  and  Aunt  Betsy 
took  to  each  other  from  the  first 
moment,  and  never  a  week  passed  that 


84  GRANDMOTHER 

Grandmother  did  not  spend  an  after- 
noon with  the  old  lady  and  take  tea. 
Aunt  Betsy  seemed  to  know  all  about 
her  at  once,  which  Anne  and  I  never 
did,  though  we  adored  her. 

"  Come  here,  child !  "  she  said  when 
she  came  in  with  Anne,  the  first  time. 
"  I've  heard  of  you,  and  I'm  glad  to 
see  you.  Come  and  let  me  have  a  look 
at  you !  "  She  took  Grandmother's 
hand  in  hers,  and  the  two  looked  at 
each  other,  a  long  quiet  look.  "  Ah  !  " 
said  Aunt  Betsy  at  last.  '  Yes,  I  see. 
The  upper  and  the  nether  millstone, 
my  child !  " 

Grandmother  nodded  simply;  then 
in  a  moment  she  began  to  talk  about 
the  flowers  she  had  brought,  and  how 
Anne  had  helped  her  pick  them,  and 


HOW   SHE   WENT  VISITING  85 

what  a  comfort  Anne  and  her  mother 
were  to  her. 

"  Such  good  neighbors !  "  she  said. 
"  Such  dear,  good,  kind,  neighbors ! 
This  place  is  so  full  of  good  people, 
Miss  Taggart." 

"  They  call  me  Aunt  Betsy,"  said 
the  old  lady,  "  and  they  call  you  Grand- 
mother, I'm  told." 

"  Yes,"  said  Grandmother  laugh- 
ing; "  that  is  my  name,  isn't  it, 
Anne?" 

Anne  says  that  she  Jiad  really  for- 
gotten that  she  had  ever  had  any  other 
name. 

"  We  shall  be  friends,  you  and  I !  " 
said  Aunt  Betsy ;  "  and  you  will  find 
good  people  wherever  you  look  for 
them,  my  dear." 


86  GRANDMOTHER 

"  Oh,  yes,  surely ! "  said  Grand- 
mother; and  they  looked  at  each 
other  again,  that  quiet  understanding 
look. 

I  don't  suppose  Anne  was  very  much 
younger  than  Grandmother,  but  she 
felt  a  whole  lifetime  between  them, 
and  worshipped  the  older  girl  with  a 
very  real  worship.  Grandmother  took 
it  sweetly  and  quietly,  as  she  took 
everything.  When  Anne  brought  some 
offering,  the  first  bride-rose  from  her 
bush,  or  a  deljcate  cake,  or  a  sunset- 
colored  jelly  in  a  glass  bowl,  Grand- 
mother would  thank  her  affectionately, 
and  admire  the  gift,  and  then  would 
say,  "  But  it  is  too  pretty  for  any  well 
person,  my  dear.  Let  us  take  it  quickly 
to  little  Kitty  who  is  so  suffering  with 


HOW   SHE   WENT   VISITING          87 

her  measles !  or  to  poor  old  Mr. 
Peavy,  whose  rheumatism  is  bad  this 
week." 

Anne  confessed  to  me  that  she  some- 
times wanted  to  say,  "  But  I  made  it 
for  you,  Grandmother,  not  for  Mr. 
Peavy  !  "  but  I  have  often  thought  that 
Anne  was  in  a  manner  serving  an 
apprenticeship  to  Grandmother,  and 
making  ready,  all  unawares,  for  the 
life  of  love  and  sacrifice  that  she  too 
was  to  lead. 

Another  of  Grandmother's  friends 
was  Parker  Patton.  He  was  bedridden, 
too  —  I  think  we  were  rather  proud  of 
our  two  stationary  (I  cannot  say  help- 
less) people;  he  had  fallen  from  a 
haystack  —  a  strong  man  he  was,  in  the 
prime  and  pride  of  life  —  and  injured 


88  GRANDMOTHER 

his  spine  so  that  he  could  never  walk 
again. 

He  was  not  a  pleasant  man,  most 
people  thought;  he  had  a  crabbed, 
knotty  disposition,  and  who  can  wonder 
at  it  ?  The  first  time  Grandmother 
went  to  see  him  he  snapped  at  her, 
like  some  strong  surly  old  dog. 

*  Who  are  you  ?  "  he  said,  bending 
his  bushy  eyebrows  over  his  bright 
dark  eyes.  "  Who  is  it  ?  "  to  his  wife, 
who  was  hovering  with  anxious  civility. 
"  Gran'ther  Merion's  widder  ?  humph  ! 
you  don't  look  like  a  fool,  but  no  more 
did  he.  What  ye  want,  hey  ?  " 

"  Oh,  father !  "  said  poor  Mrs.  Pat- 
ton.  "  Don't  talk  so !  Mis'  Merion's 
come  to  visit  with  you  a  spell.  I'm 
sure  she's  real  —  " 


HOW   SHE    WENT   VISITING  89 

"  Get  out !  "  said  Parker.  "  Get  out 
of  the  room,  d'ye  hear  ?  " 

The  poor  timid  soul  backed  out, 
murmuring  some  apology  to  the  visitor, 
whom  she  expected  to  follow  her;  but 
Grandmother  stood  still,  looking  at 
him  with  her  quiet  sweet  eyes. 

'  You  can  follow  her !  "  said  Parker. 
"  She  likes  to  see  company;  I  don't! 
I  speak  plain,  and  say  what  I  mean." 

"  I'll  go  very  soon !  "  said  Grand- 
mother. "  I'd  like  to  stay  a  few 
minutes ;  may  I  ?  " 

"  If  I'm  to  be  made  a  show  of," 
growled  the  cross  old  man,  "  I  shall 
charge  admission  same  as  any  other 
show.  Think  it's  worth  a  quarter  to 
see  a  man  with  a  broken  back?  If 
you  do  you  can  stay." 


90  GRANDMOTHER 

"  I  haven't  a  quarter,"  said  Grand- 
mother, "  but  it's  worth  something  to 
sit  down  in  this  comfortable  chair. 
Were  you  ever  at  sea,  Mr.  Patton  ?  " 

"  Ya-a-ow !  "  snarled  Mr.  Patton. 
It  sounded  almost  as  much  like  "  no  " 
as  "  yes,"  but  Grandmother  did  not 
heed  it  much.  She  had  dropped  lightly 
into  the  chair,  and  was  looking  at  a 
picture  that  hung  opposite  the  bed;  a 
colored  lithograph  of  a  ship  under  full 
sail.  The  workmanship  was  rough 
and  poor,  but  the  waves  were  alive, 
and  the  ship  moved. 

"  I  like  that !  "  said  Grandmother 
softly.  "  I  never  saw  the  sea,  but  I 
knew  a  sailor  once."  She  began  to 
sing  very  softly,  hardly  above  her 
breath. 


HOW   SHE   WENT  VISITING  91 

"  There  were  two  gallant  ships 
Put  out  to  sea. 

Sing  high,  sing  low,  and  so  sailed  we. 
The  one  was  Prince  of  Luther  and  the  other 

Prince  of  Wales; 
Sailing  down  along  the  coast  of  the  high 

Barbaric ; 
Sailing  down  along  the  coast  of  the  high 

Barbaric." 

"  Who  taught  you  that  ?  "  growled 
Parker  Patton. 

"  A  sailor ;  his  name  was  Ned- 
dard,  Neddard  Prowst.  He  came  —  " 
The  sick  man  started  up  on  his 
elbows. 

"  Neddard  Prowst !  he  was  a  ship- 
mate of  mine ;  we  sailed  together  three 
years,  and  if  I  hadn't  come  ashore  like 
a  grass-fool  we  might  be  sailing  yet. 


92  GRANDMOTHER 

Where  did  you  see  Neddard,  young 
woman  ?  " 

"  In  the  mountains.  He  came  ashore ; 
he  thought  he  would  like  mining,  but 
he  didn't.  He  was  always  longing  for 
the  sea." 

"  Ah !  I'll  lay  my  cargo  he  was. 
All  seamen  have  their  foolish  times.  I 
thought  I  was  tired  of  the  sea;  all  I 
wanted  in  the  world  was  to  lay  under  a 
tree  and  eat  apples,  day  after  day. 
Well  —  here  I  lay,  and  serve  me 
right.  What  about  Neddard,  young 
woman  ?  " 

"  He  was  very  good  to  me,"  she  said. 
"  He  liked  me  to  sit  with  him  when  he 
was  sick ;  he  died  a  little  before  I  came 
here.  He  taught  me  all  the  songs.  Do 
you  remember,  now,  this  one? 


HOW   SHE   WENT  VISITING          93 

"  Hilo,  heylo, 
Tom  was  a  merry  boy, 
Hilo,  heylo, 
Run  before  the  wind  ! 
Heave  to,  my  jolly  Jacky, 
Pipe  all  for  grog  and  baccy, 
Hilo,  heylo, 
Run  before  the  wind ! " 

"  Ay !  many's  the  time !  did  he 
learn  you  *  Madagascar '  ?  hey,  what  ?  " 
Grandmother,  for  all  reply,  sang  again : 

"  Up  anchor,  'bout  ship,  and  off  to  Mada- 
gascar ! 

Cheerily,  oh,  cheerily,  you  hear  the  boat- 
swain call. 

Don't  you  ship  a  Portagee,  nor  don't  you 
ship  a  Lascar, 

Nor  don't  you  ship  a  Chinaman,  the  worst 
of  them  all ! 


94  GRANDMOTHER 

'*  Up  foresail,  out  jib,  and  off  to  Madagascar, 
Call  to  Mother  Carey  for  to  keep  her  chicks 

at  home. 
Ship  me  next  to  Martinique,  or  ship  me  to 

Alaska, 
But  Polly's  got  my  heart  at  anchor,  ne'er 

to  roam." 

By  and  by  when  poor  Mrs.  Patton 
ventured  to  put  her  timid  head  inside 
the  door,  she  kept  it  there,  too  as- 
tonished to  move. 

Parker  lay  back  on  his  pillows  with 
a  look  such  as  she  had  not  seen  for 
many  a  long  day.  His  thin  hands  were 
beating  time  on  the  coverlet,  and  he 
and  Grandmother  were  singing  to- 
gether : 

"  Silver  and  gold  in  the  Lowlands,  Lowlands, 
Silver  and  gold  in  the  Lowlands  low ; 


HOW  SHE   WENT  VISITING  95 

On  the  quay  so  shady 
I  met  a  pretty  lady, 

She  stole  away  my  heart  in  the  Lowlands 
low. 

"  Di'monds  and  pearls  in  the  Lowlands,  Low- 
lands, 

Di'monds  and  pearls  in  the  Lowlands  low ; 
Daddy  was  a  tailor, 
But  I  will  die  a  sailor, 

And  bury  me  my  heart  in  the  Low  lands 
low!" 

When  the  song  was  finished  the  old 
sailor  looked  up  and  saw  his  wife 
gaping  in  the  doorway. 

"  Great  bobstays !  'Liza,"  he  said, 
"  Ain't  you  got  a  drop  of  cider  for  Mis' 
Merion  to  wet  her  throat  with  ?  You'd 
let  her  sing  herself  dry  as  pop-corn,  I 
believe,  and  never  stir  a  finger." 


96  GRANDMOTHER 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Patton !  "  said  the  poor 
woman,  and  went  to  fetch  the  cider, 
a  great  content  shining  in  her  face. 
It  was  a  good  day  when  her  husband 
said  "  Great  bobstays  !  " 

Meantime  Grandmother  was  not 
much  missed  at  the  Farm.  Manuel 
indeed  seemed  more  at  ease  when  she 
was  not  there;  he  did  not  look  at  her 
much  in  these  days,  nor  speak  to  her 
except  when  need  was.  She  never 
seemed  to  notice,  but  was  quiet  and 
cheerful  as  she  always  had  been. 

As  for  Rachel,  she  saw  nothing,  heard 
nothing,  but  Manuel.  She  seemed 
all  day  in  a  kind  of  breathless  dream 
of  joy.  But  she  meant  to  be  good  to 
Grandmother.  She  was  glad  that 
Grandmother  had  given  up  her  room 


HOW   SHE   WENT  VISITING  97 

to  them,  and  taken  the  little  back 
one;  she  gloried  in  sitting  at  the 
head  of  the  table  once  more,  and 
ruling  all  like  a  queen.  Manuel  said 
she  was  a  queen ;  "  Queen  Poppy  " 
he  used  to  call  her;  and  Rachel 
thought  it  quite  true;  if  only  she  had 
had  the  luck  to  be  born  a  princess, 
and  Manuel  a  prince !  Yes,  she  meant 
to  be  good  to  Grandmother. 

'  Why,  Grandmother,"  she  said  one 
day  at  table,  "  your  hair  is  beginning 
to  turn !  Look,  Manuel !  see  the 
white  hairs !  " 

Manuel  looked,  and  his  face  dark- 
ened, but  he  said  nothing. 

"I  declare,"  said  Rachel,  "that's 
queer  enough.  I'd  like  to  know  what 
care  you  have,  Grandmother,  to  turn 


98 


GRANDMOTHER 


your  hair  gray.    I  expect  it's  not  having 
any  that's  done  it." 

"Yes,  Rachel,"  said  Grandmother; 
"  perhaps  that  is  it." 


CHAPTER  VII 

HOW   THE    LIGHT   CAME   TO    HER 

ALL  this  was  before  the  child  came. 
With  the  coming  of  that  little  creature 
the  world  changed  once  more  for 
Grandmother.  It  was  in  the  early 
autumn;  the  cardinal  flowers  were 
past,  but  the  St.-John's-wort  was  in 
its  bloom  of  tarnished  gold,  and  the 
fringed  gentian,  too,  was  beginning  to 
open  its  blue  eyes.  Anne  Peace  re- 
membered this,  because  she  had  just 
been  out  gathering  gentians,  and  was 
coming  home  with  her  hands  full  of 

99 


100  GRANDMOTHER 

the  lovely  things,  when  she  saw  her 
mother  come  to  the  door  of  Merion 
House  and  wave  a  white  apron.  Anne 
dropped  the  flowers.  "  Oh  !  Rachel !  " 
she  said;  and  came  running  over. 
The  white  apron  meant  that  it  was  a 
girl;  if  it  were  a  boy  the  blue  table- 
cloth was  to  be  waved. 

'"  Doing  well !  "  said  Mother  Peace. 
"  Grandmother  has  the  baby  in  the 
back  chamber;  you  can  see  it,  if  you 
like,  Anne,  only  go  quiet." 

As  if  Anne  were  ever  anything  but 
quiet!  Noiselessly  she  sped  up  the 
back  stairs,  and  opened  the  door  of  the 
little  bedchamber.  There  she  saw  — 
Madonna ! 

Grandmother  was  sitting  in  a  low 
rocking-chair,  with  the  baby  in  her 


HOW   THE    LIGHT   CAME   TO    HER    101 

arms,  bending  over  it  with  eyes  of 
worship. 

"  Hush,  Annie ! "  she  said  softly. 
"  Come  and  see  a  piece  of  heaven !  " 

Anne  thought  the  heaven  was  in 
Grandmother's  face ;  she  never  saw,  she 
said,  such  an  angel  look.  She  came 
nearer,  and  looked  at  the  tiny  creature 
nestling  in  its  blankets.  One  little 
pink  fist  was  waving  feebly.  Grand- 
mother lifted  it  and  laid  it  against  her 
cheek. 

"  Little  velvet  roseleaf !  "  she  mur- 
mured. "  Look,  Anne !  see  the  per- 
fectness  of  this  !  The  little  pink  pearls 
of  nails,  the  tiny  precious  thumbkin. 
Oh,  wonderful,  wonderful !  How  good 
God  is,  to  let  us  begin  in  this  heavenly 
way.  How  can  we  ever  be  anything 


102  GRANDMOTHER 

but  good  and  lovely,  when  we  begin 
like  this  ?  " 

"  Some  of  us  can't,"  said  little  Anne 
shyly.  "  She  is  a  darling,  Grand- 
mother. Has  Rachel  seen  her  ?  " 

A  shade  passed  over  Grandmother's 
rapt  face.  "  Not  yet !  "  she  said.  "  She 
ought  to.  If  you  see  your  mother, 
Anne,  you  might  tell  her  that  baby  is 
washed  and  dressed.  Darling,  your 
gown  should  be  made  of  white  rose- 
leaves,  shouldn't  it  ?  and  you  the  little 
blush-rose  heart?  Oh,  little  piece  of 
heaven,  how  could  they  let  you  go  ?  " 

Anne  stole  away;  looking  back  at 
the  door,  she  saw  that  Grandmother 
had  forgotten  her  and  all  the  wrorld 
except  the  child ;  again  it  seemed  Mary 
that  she  was  looking  at;  Mary  in 


"GRANDMOTHER    HAD    FORGOTTEN    ALL    THE    WORLD  EXCEPT 
THE    CHILD." 


HOW   THE    LIGHT   CAME   TO    HER    103 

adoration,  as  she  had  seen  her  in  an 
old  engraving. 

With  the  awe  and  wonder  of  this 
still  on  her,  she  crept  along  the  passage, 
past  the  door  of  Rachel's  room,  which 
stood  ajar.  A  fretful  voice  was  speak- 
ing. "  No,  I  don't  want  to  see  it.  I 
never  wanted  any  at  all,  but  if  I  had  to 
have  one  I  wanted  a  boy ;  I  don't  want 
a  girl.  I  won't  bother  with  it.  It's 
hard  enough  to  have  to  be  one,  and  go 
through  what  I've  been  through  — 
and  then  to  have  a  girl !  it  ain't  fair ; 
it's  real  mean !  "  An  angry  sob  fol- 
lowed, and  Mother  Peace's  calm  voice 
was  heard. 

'  You  want  to  be  quiet  now,  Rachel, 
and  try  to  get  a  nap.  You'll  feel  dif- 
ferent when  you've  seen  your  baby. 


104  GRANDMOTHER 

Shut  your  eyes  now  and  mebbe  you'll 
drop  off,  while  I  go  and  get  you  some 
gruel." 

"  I  hate  gruel !  "  said  Rachel;  "  I 
won't  touch  it,  Mis'  Peace,  I  tell  you  !  " 

Mother  Peace  came  out  quietly  and 
drew  the  door  to.  Seeing  Anne  she 
nodded,  and  beckoned  her  to  follow 
down-stairs,  but  did  not  speak  till  she 
had  gained  the  kitchen. 

"  Anne,"  she  said.  '  You  needn't 
tell  me.  There's  mistakes  made  up 
yonder  sometimes  same  as  other  places ; 
maybe  some  of  the  angels  is  young  and 
careless.  But  that  baby '11  soon  find 
out  who  its  real  mother  is,  you  see  if 
it  don't." 

"  Why,  Mother  Peace,"  said  Anne, 
"  how  you  talk !  " 


HOW   THE    LIGHT   CAME    TO    HER    105 

"  Some  one  has  to  talk !  "  said  her 
mother  kindly.  "  You  are  little  better 
than  a  dumb  image,  Anne,  when  a 
person  wants  to  free  her  mind.  You 
might  stir  this  gruel  if  you've  a  mind 
to,  while  I  go  up  and  take  a  look  at 
those  two  lambs,  and  I  don't  mean 
Rachel  Merion  by  neither  one  of 
'em." 

Strange  and  terrible  as  it  seems, 
Rachel  did  not  grow  fond  of  her  baby. 
She  had  made  up  her  mouth,  she  said, 
for  a  boy;  she  had  never  liked  girl 
babies,  and  she  wasn't  going  to  pretend 
that  she  did. 

"  You  needn't  look  like  that,  Grand- 
mother, as  if  you  expected  the  sky  to 
fall  on  me.  I'm  one  that  isn't  afraid 
to  say  what  I  think,  and  I  think  it's 


106  GRANDMOTHER 

real  mean,  so  now,  and  I  never  shall 
think  anything  else." 

Manuel  too  was  greatly  disappointed. 
Rachel  had  been  so  absolutely  sure, 
that  he  too  had  counted  on  the  promised 
boy,  feeling  somehow  that  she  must 
know.  They  had  named  the  child  - 
Orlando  Harold  was  to  be  his  name. 
He  was  to  have  Manuel's  eyes  and 
Rachel's  hair,  and  was  to  be  President 
or  Major-General ;  this  was  the  only 
point  that  was  not  settled.  And  now  — 
still  Manuel  felt  a  stirring  at  his  heart, 
when  he  saw  the  little  fair  creature  in 
Grandmother's  arms.  "  After  all,  there 
have  to  be  girls  !  "  he  said. 

"  I  didn't  have  to  have  one,"  said 
Rachel,  flouncing  away  from  him. 

Mother    Peace,    while    she    nursed 


HOW  THE   LIGHT  CAME   TO   HER    107 

Rachel  faithfully  and  sturdily,  grew 
more  and  more  rigid  with  indignation. 

"  Take  this  broth !  "  she  would  say. 
"  Yes,  you  will ;  take  every  sup  of  it ; 
there !  If  'twasn't  for  my  living  duty 
I'd  put  whole  peppercorns  into  it, 
Rachel  Merion.  Such  actions !  what 
the  Lord  was  thinking  of  I  don't 
know."  For  Rachel  was  not  nursing 
the  baby;  said  she  could  not,  she 
should  die. 

"  I  want  a  free  foot,"  she  said ; 
"  and  they  do  just  as  well  on  a  bottle, 
Mis'  Peace." 

"  They  do  not !  "  said  Mrs.  Peace. 
"  I'll  trouble  you  not  to  teach  me  to 
suck  eggs,  Rachel.  Now  you  are  going 
to  take  a  nap,  and  much  good  may  it 
do  you !  " 


108  GRANDMOTHER 

"  I'm  not !  "  said  Rachel. 

'  You  are ! "  said  Mrs.  Peace,  and 
drew  down  the  shades  and  went  out 
closing  the  door  after  her. 

Mrs.  Peace's  indignation  even  ex- 
tended to  Grandmother.  "  I  believe 
she  don't  care,  either ! "  she  said. 
"  Grandmother,  I  really  believe  you 
don't  care  that  Rachel  is  a  heathen 
and  a  publican,  and  had  ought  to  be 
slapped  instead  of  fed  and  cockered 
up." 

Grandmother  looked  up  with  a  face 
so  radiant,  it  seemed  to  startle  the 
whole  room  into  sudden  light. 

"  Oh,  but  she  will ! "  she  said. 
"  She  will  care,  dear  Mrs.  Peace. 
She  can't  possibly  help  it,  you  know, 
when  she  comes  to  get  about  and  hold 


HOW   THE    LIGHT    CAME    TO    HER     109 

the  little  darling  angel,  and  feel  its 
little  blessedness  all  warm  in  her  arms. 
She  can't  help  it  then,  my  Precious 
Precious,  can  she?  Oh,  Mrs.  Peace, 
she  is  smiling.  Anne,  Anne,  come 
quick,  she  is  smiling." 

"  Wind !  "  said  Mrs.  Peace  calmly. 

Grandmother  flushed  and  looked 
almost  angry.  ;<  How  can  you,  Mrs. 
Peace  ? "  she  said.  "  But  I  know 
better,  I  know !  I  almost  heard  them 
whisper ;  I  almost  heard  the  rustle  - 

"  What  rustle  ?  "  asked  Anne  under 
her  breath. 

But  Grandmother  only  smiled  down 
at  baby.  *  Rachel  says  I  may  name 
her !  "  she  said.  "  Isn't  that  kind  of 
her?" 

Mrs.  Peace  sniffed. 


110  GRANDMOTHER 

"  What  shall  you  call  her  ?  "  asked 
Anne. 

"  Faith  !  "  said  Grandmother. 
"  Sweet  little  Faith,  God  bless  her ! 
and  God  bless  us,  and  give  us  wisdom 
to  rear  His  heavenly  flower  fit  for  His 
garden." 

Anne  and  I  always  said  that  the  most 
beautiful  sight  we  had  ever  seen  was 
Baby  Faith's  christening.  It  was  in 
October,  a  bright  glorious  day.  Grand- 
mother hung  great  branches  of  maple 
everywhere,  making  the  sitting-room  a 
royal  chamber  with  scarlet  and  gold. 
Rachel  had  come  down  for  the  first 
time  and  was  on  the  sofa  in  a  scar- 
let wrapper,  and  Grandmother  had 
crowned  her  with  golden  leaves,  and 
told  her  she  was  the  queen,  and  had 


HOW   THE    LIGHT   CAME   TO    HER    111 

come  to  the  christening  feast  of  the 
princess.  Rachel  was  all  ready  to  be 
crowned  and  petted.  She  kept  Manuel 
close  by  her  side,  or  sent  him  now  and 
then  on  some  little  errand  across  the 
room,  never  further  —  and  snatched 
him  back  again  jealously.  She  did  not 
want  him  even  to  look  at  the  baby, 
though  she  liked  well  enough  now  to 
look  at  it  herself,  had  even  grown  a 
little  vain  of  it  because  people  admired 
it  so. 

"  I  think  it's  real  good  of  me  to  let 
you  name  her,  Grandmother ! "  she 
said  jealously.  "  And  giving  her  such 
a  mean,  poor-sounding  name  too:  so 
old-fashioned.  Ruby  Emerald  is  the 
name  I  should  have  picked  out,  and 
after  all  she's  my  baby  and  not  yours ; 


112  GRANDMOTHER 

but  I'm  not  going  back  on  what  I  said. 
I  never  would  do  that,  though  if  I  was 
in  your  place  I  shouldn't  want  she 
should  have  a  name  her  own  mother 
despised." 

I  don't  think  Grandmother  always 
listened  to  Rachel;  she  certainly  did 
not  seem  to  hear  her  now,  for  now  the 
minister  came  in,  dear  old  Parson 
Truegood.  He  stopped  a  moment  in 
the  doorway,  looking  at  Grandmother, 
standing  there  in  her  white  dress  with 
the  baby  in  her  arms.  I  think  the 
same  thought  was  in  his  mind  that 
had  come  to  Anne  —  the  thought  of 
Mary  and  the  Child  —  for  he  bowed 
his  head  as  if  in  prayer,  just  for  a 
minute.  Then  he  came  in,  with  his 
cheery  smile,  and  had  just  the  right 


HOW   THE    LIGHT  CAME   TO    HER    113 

word  for  Rachel  and  Manuel,  and  all 
the  time  it  was  at  the  other  two  he 
looked. 

Little  Faith  was  one  of  those  babies 
that  are  beautiful  from  the  very  first. 
Some  people  will  tell  you  there  are 
none  such,  but  do  not  believe  them. 
Even  the  first  day  there  was  no  mottled 
depth  of  redness,  only  a  kind  of  velvet 
rose  color.  That  soon  faded  away 
and  left  the  white  rose  instead  that 
Grandmother  always  called  her.  She 
was  not  pasty  white,  nor  waxen  white ; 
it  was  a  clear  rosy  whiteness ;  you  see, 
I  have  only  the  same  word  to  say  over 
again.  White  Rose;  that  is  what  she 
was.  And  every  little  feature  perfect, 
as  if  carved  with  a  fairy-fine  tool ;  and 
her  eyes  like  stars  in  blue  water. 


114  GRANDMOTHER 

Except  Grandmother  herself,  she  was 
the  most  beautiful  thing  I  ever  saw. 

She  was  asleep  when  the  service 
began;  but  when  the  water  touched 
her  forehead  she  woke,  and  looked  up 
and  smiled,  a  heavenly  smile. 

Grandmother  looked  up  too,  as  if 
she  saw  some  one,  or  thought  to  see; 
and  I  saw  a  listening  look  come  over 
her  face,  as  if  she  heard  some  sound,  or 
hoped  to  hear.  And  when,  a  moment 
later,  she  knelt  down  to  pray,  she 
moved  her  dress  a  little  aside,  as  if 
making  room  for  some  one.  Anne 
knew  what  it  meant.  Grandmother 
had  told  her.  "  I  believe,"  she  said, 
"  that  a  baby's  angel  stays  by  till  after 
it  is  christened.  I  can't  tell  you  just 
how  I  know,  but  I  hear  —  sometimes  - 


HOW  THE   LIGHT  CAME   TO    HER    115 

I  hear  sounds  that  aren't  this-world 
sounds.  And  some  one  speaks  to  me  — 
without  words,  yet  I  understand  —  oh, 
yes,  I  understand." 

It  was  a  pretty  fancy;  she  was  full 
of  pretty  fancies,  many  of  them  coming, 
I  suppose,  from  her  lonely  childhood. 

And  so  Baby  Faith  was  christened, 
and  became  the  light  of  Grandmother's 
life. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

HOW   HER   HAIR   TURNED   WHITE 

Now  followed  the  golden  time  of 
Grandmother's  life.  I  hardly  know 
how  to  describe  the  change  that  came 
over  her  with  the  coming  of  little  Faith. 
She  seemed  to  grow  taller,  straighter, 
fuller.  The  windflower  was  gone,  and 
instead  there  was  a  tall  white  lily, 
growing  firm  and  strong,  sending  its 
roots  deep  down,  spreading  its  broad 
green  leaves  and  silver  petals  abroad 
to  the  sun. 

She  took  all  the  care  of  the  baby. 
Rachel  was  not  strong,  and  could  not 
bear  to  lose  sleep,  and  Grandmother 

116 


HOW  HER  HAIR  TURNED  WHITE    117 

joyfully  declared  that  she  slept  the 
better  for  having  the  cradle  beside  her 
bed.  Rachel  slept  late,  and  Grand- 
mother would  take  Baby  down  and 
tuck  her  up  in  Grandfather's  great 
chair  while  she  got  breakfast  for  Manuel 
and  herself,  and  then  made  ready  the 
pretty  tray  for  Rachel.  Then  out  she 
would  run  into  the  garden  with  the 
child  in  her  arms,  to  get  the  morning 
dew. 

"  The  morning  dew  to  make  you  fair, 
The  morning  sun  to  curl  your  hair; 
The  birds  to  sing  to  you, 
Fly  to  you,  bring  to  you 
Everything  sweet  from  everywhere." 

We    realized    now    that    many    of 
Grandmother's   little   songs   were   her 


118  GRANDMOTHER 

own;  we  could  see  them  making; 
they  came  bubbling  up  like  bird-songs, 
and  she  would  try  one  word  and 
another,  one  note  and  another,  till  all 
was  to  her  mind. 

"  How  do  you  do  it,  Grandmother  ?  " 
Anne  Peace  would  say.  And  Grand- 
mother would  laugh  and  say,  "  I  don't, 
Anne.  There  isn't  any  making  about 
it;  they  just  come." 

She  never  used  to  laugh,  except 
with  the  children,  but  now  she  was 
full  of  laughter  and  singing.  How 
could  she  help  it?  she  would  say. 
Who  could  help  singing  with  a  baby 
in  the  house,  and  such  a  baby  as 
Faith  ? 

The  children  were  inclined  to  be 
jealous  at  first,  all  except  "  Saturday 


HOW  HER  HAIR  TURNED  WHITE    119 

Nelly,"  as  they  called  the  little  lame 
girl.  She  simply  fell  down  and  wor- 
shipped with  Grandmother.  The 
others  —  well,  it  seemed  strange  to 
some  of  them,  especially  the  boys,  to 
have  such  a  fuss  made  over  a  baby. 
They  had  babies  at  home,  that  looked 
(they  thought  in  their  ignorance)  very 
like  this  one;  but  no  one  ever  called 
them  rose-leaf  princesses  or  lily-bell 
angels.  To  be  sure,  they  often  cried  — 
squalled,  the  boys  called  it  —  and  this 
one  never  seemed  to,  just  smiled  and 
cooed. 

"  Why  should  she  cry,"  said  Grand- 
mother, "  when  she  is  well  and  happy  ? 
If  she  cries,  children,  it  is  our  fault, 
and  we  must  be  whipped  round  the 
garden  with  bramble  whips  all  over 


120  GRANDMOTHER 

thorns.  So  dance  now,  and  make  her 
laugh !  "  Then  they  all  would  dance, 
and  Baby  Faith  would  leap  in  Grand- 
mother's arms,  and  crow,  and  wave  her 
little  arms. 

*  Where  did  she  come  from  ?  "  asked 
a  little  girl. 

"  Oh,  I  was  just  singing  about 
that  before  you  came,"  said  Grand- 
mother. "  Listen  now,  and  you  shall 
hear. 

"  Down  from  the  sky  came 

Little  White  Rose; 
How  they  could  spare  her 

Nobody  knows. 
Through  the  gate  slipping, 
Down  the  air  tripping, 
What  she  could  tell  us, 

If  she  but  chose ! 


HOW   HER   HAIR  TURNED   WHITE    121 

Down  to  the  earth  came 

Little  White  Rose, 
Sadly  the  gold  gates 

After  her  close; 
Left  them  all  sighing, 
Sobbing  and  crying; 
Will  they  come  after  her, 

Do  you  suppose  ?  " 

"  Will  who  come  ?  "  asked  Benny 
Mack. 

"  Angels  !  "  said  Grandmother. 
"  Troops  of  them,  all  shining  with 
great  white  wings  spread,  and 
white  lily-dresses;  look  up  there, 
Benny !  what  do  you  see  in  the 
blue?" 

"  Clouds  !  "  said  Benny. 

"  Yes,"  said  Grandmother.  "  But 
I  see  something  else,  Benny;  a  white- 


122  GRANDMOTHER 

lily  lady  sitting  in  a  cloudy  chair. 
Don't  you  see  her,  Nelly?  Stay  up 
there,  lily-lady ;  don't  come  down  here  ! 
Baby  Faith  is  very  well,  you  cannot 
have  her  back." 

"  Do  you  know,  children,"  she  said, 
lowering  her  voice,  "  do  you  know  all 
the  things  that  happened  the  day  Baby 
came  ?  You  don't  ?  come  and  sit  round 
here,  all  of  you !  Nelly-Nell,  you  shall 
—  oh,  Nelly,  you  are  so  good  and  dear 
and  patient,  you  shall  hold  her  a  little, 
while  I  tell.  Listen  now ! 


"  The  lily-bells  rang  at  the  sight  of  her, 
The  sunflower  turned  to  the  light  of  her, 

The  little  black  mole 

Crept  out  of  his  hole, 
Just  to  peep  at  the  darling  delight  of  her. 


HOW   HER   HAIR  TURNED   WHITE    123 

"  The  daisies  all  danced  'neath  the  feet  of  her, 
The  roses  turned  faint  at  the  sweet  of  her; 
The  firefly's  spark 
Came  and  lit  up  the  dark, 
Just  to  show  us  the  picture  complete  of  her ! " 


Two  years;  two  golden,  beautiful, 
heavenly  years.  Then  —  it  will  not 
be  easy  to  tell  this  part,  yet  it  must  be 
told. 

Anne  Peace  thinks  I  am  hard  upon 
Rachel;  her  mother  used  to  think  I 
was  just  the  reverse.  She  always 
seemed  to  me  the  one  wholly  selfish 
person  I  ever  knew.  She  loved  Manuel 
passionately;  but  so  jealously  that  she 
did  not  even  like  to  see  him  caress  the 
baby,  but  would  call  him  to  her  side, 
or  make  some  excuse  to  give  the  child 


124  GRANDMOTHER 

to  Grandmother.  And  yet  she  was 
so  jealous  of  Grandmother  too !  I  do 
not  think  she  ever  cared  much  for  the 
baby,  yet  she  would  have  fits  of  jealous 
rage  now  and  then. 

"  I'd  like  to  know  whose  baby  that 
is,  Grandmother ! "  she  would  say. 
Grandmother  would  look  up  with  the 
rapt  smile  she  always  wore  when  little 
Faith  was  in  her  arms. 

'  Whose  baby  ?  why,  Rachel,  don't 
you  know?  White  Rose,  look  at 
mother  !  throw  a  kiss  to  mother  !  " 

"  I  don't  know  as  I  do !  "  Rachel 
would  go  on.  "  I  thought  'twas  mine ; 
I  didn't  know  as  you'd  had  one, 
Grandmother,  but  maybe  I  was  mis- 
taken; maybe  I  just  thought  I  had  a 
baby,  and  she  was  yours  all  along." 


HOW   HER   HAIR  TURNED   WHITE    125 

Then  suddenly  stamping  her  foot, 
she  would  flash  out  in  the  old  way. 

"  I  want  you  should  understand  that 
that  child  belongs  to  me  and  Manuel, 
and  to  no  one  else.  I  won't  have  my 
own  child  taken  away  from  me;  I  tell 
you  I  won't !  Give  me  my  baby  this 
minute !  "  And  she  would  snatch  the 
child  from  Grandmother's  arms.  Of 
course  then  the  poor  little  thing  would 
begin  to  cry,  frightened  by  her  wild 
looks  and  angry  voice,  and  this  only 
enraged  Rachel  more.  "  You've  turned 
her  against  me ! "  she  shrieked. 
'  You've  stole  her  away  from  me,  you 
wicked,  wicked  -  here  she  would 
break  into  a  passion  of  furious  sobs; 
and  Grandmother  would  take  the  baby 
out  of  her  arms  and  go  away  without 


126  GRANDMOTHER 

a  word,  leaving  her  to  storm  and  rave 
till  Manuel  came  in  to  pet  and  caress 
her  into  good  humor  again. 

But  again,  it  would  be  Manuel  at 
whom  she  would  storm,  accusing  him 
of  abetting  Grandmother  in  her  de- 
signs upon  the  baby;  or  still  again,  if 
she  had  her  wish  of  the  moment,  and 
the  baby  was  left  with  her  for  a  few 
minutes,  she  would  find  herself  ill-used 
and  neglected,  and  left  with  all  the  care 
of  the  child  on  her  hands.  Well !  poor 
Rachel ! 

One  day  —  it  was  a  bright  fair  day, 
like  any  other  summer  day  -  -  Manuel 
had  promised  to  take  Rachel  for  a 
drive.  "  We  might  take  Faith !  "  he 
said;  he  had  grown  very  fond  of  the 
little  one  since  she  began  to  talk. 


HOW   HER   HAIR  TURNED   WHITE    127 

"  I  don't  know  as  I  want  to !  "  said 
Rachel,  who  was  in  a  bad  mood.  "  I'd 
like  to  have  a  chance  to  talk  to  you  once 
in  awhile  myself,  Manuel." 

"  I'll  take  Baby  out  in  her  carriage," 
said  Grandmother  happily.  "  We'll 
go  to  the  woods,  won't  we,  White 
Rose  ?  " 

That  was  enough.  "  No,  you  won't ! " 
said  Rachel.  "  If  she's  going  out  she 
can  come  with  us.  You  put  on  her 
things,  Grandmother,  while  I  get 


mine." 


Grandmother  carried  little  Faith  out 
to  the  wagon,  and  put  her  into  her 
mother's  arms,  and  waited  to  see  them 
start.  It  was  surely  a  pretty  sight, 
Anne  Peace  said;  she  was  watching 
from  her  window.  Rachel  had  a 


128  GRANDMOTHER 

gipsy  hat  full  of  scarlet  poppies  tied 
with  scarlet  ribbons  under  her  chin. 
Manuel  was  bare-headed,  his  crisp 
black  curls  framing  his  brown  hand- 
some face;  and  between  the  two  dark 
beauties  the  little  White  Rose  with  her 
silver  curls  and  apple-blossom  face. 
She  was  dancing  up  and  down  on 
Rachel's  lap,  clapping  her  hands  at 
the  horse.  A  little  piece  of  quicksilver 
she  was. 

'  Hold  her  tight,  won't  you, 
Rachel  ?  "  said  Grandmother ;  "  she 
does  jump  about  so,  bless  her !  " 

"  I  guess  I  know  how  to  hold  my 
own  child !  "  said  Rachel. 

So  —  they  started,  and  Grandmother 
waved  good-bye,  and  then  went 
back  to  the  house  with  a  still  look; 


HOW   HER  HAIR  TURNED  WHITE    129 

peaceful   and  serene,   but  the  radiant 
light    gone    out    of    her    face. 

No  one  was  ever  to  see  that  light 
again. 

They  were  gone  about  an  hour. 
Grandmother  was  in  the  garden  watch- 
ing for  them,  when  they  came  back. 
It  did  not  need  her  eyes  to  see  that 
something  was  terribly,  terribly  wrong. 
Manuel  was  driving  furiously,  lashing 
the  horse,  who  galloped  his  best. 
Rachel  was  in  a  heap  on  the  floor 
of  the  wagon  moaning  and  crying; 
what  was  that  little  white  drift  on  her 
knees,  with  the  red  stain  creep- 
ing- 
No  !  no  !  I  cannot  tell  that  part. 
Next  moment  Grandmother  had  the 
child  in  her  arms.  She  towered  like  an 


130  GRANDMOTHER 

avenging  angel  over  the  wretched 
parents,  who  cowered  at  her  feet. 

:<  She  isn't  dead !  "  shrieked  Rachel. 
"  Grandmother,  Grandmother,  say  she 
isn't  dead.  She's  only  stunned  a  little, 
I  tell  you.  She  —  lost  her  balance  — 

But  Manuel  cried  out  hoarsely :  "  No 
lies  now !  we  were  quarrelling,  and  we 
forgot  her.  .  She  sprang  out  — "  he 
choked,  and  no  more  words  came. 

"  Only  one  hour  ! "  said  Grand- 
mother. Three  words;  her  terrible 
eyes  said  the  rest. 

Grandmother  fought  for  the  child's 
life,  silently,  desperately.  The  doctor 
came,  a  kind,  quiet  man,  and  they 
worked  together.  He  said  a  few  cheer- 
ing words;  but  meeting  Mrs.  Peace's 
eyes,  he  shook  his  head  sadly. 


HOW  HER  HAIR  TURNED  WHITE    131 

It  lasted  an  hour  or  more ;  the  spirit 
nestled  wonderingly  in  the  little  broken 
body,  lately  all  light  and  strength  and 
answering  joy.  The  sweet  eyes  opened 
once  or  twice,  seeking  the  face  that  had 
been  their  sun.  It  was  there,  bending 
close;  it  smiled,  and  White  Rose 
smiled  back.  The  last  time,  the  baby 
arms  moved,  fluttered  up  toward 
Grandmother,  then  dropped;  the  eyes 
closed. 

Presently  the  doctor  rose  and  went 
out,  with  bowed  head ;  he  was  a  father 
of  children.  The  elder  woman,  weeping 
silently,  went  to  the  window  and 
opened  it  wide;  and  the  sunset  light, 
rosy  and  clear,  streamed  in  on  Grand- 
mother, sitting  motionless,  with  the 
dead  child  in  her  arms. 


CHAPTER  IX 

HOW   SHE    FOUND    PEACE 

NEXT  day  her  hair  was  quite  white, 
as  if  it  had  been  snowed  on  in  the 
night.  But  she  was  herself  again,  and 
went  quietly  about  the  house,  doing 
all  that  had  to  be  done,  and  waiting  on 
Rachel,  who  lay  moaning  and  crying 
in  her  darkened  room,  exhausted  after 
a  night  of  hysterical  passion.  Grand- 
mother brought  the  breakfast  tray,  and 
bathed  her  face  and  hands  and  brushed 
her  hair,  in  silence;  she  seemed  un- 
conscious of  her  sobs  and  tears. 

"  I  think  you  might  say  something, 

132 


HOW   SHE    FOUND    PEACE  133 

Grandmother !  "  Rachel  whimpered. 
"  It's  dreadful  enough,  without  your 
going  about  looking  like  a  stone  image. 
It  isn't  your  baby  that  —  oh,  dear! 
and  just  as  I  was  getting  so  fond  of  her. 
She  was  just  getting  to  the  interesting 
age.  Oh,  it's  too  awful;  isn't  it, 
Grandmother  ?  " 

Grandmother  did  not  heed  her,  but 
went  on  brushing  the  heavy  black  hair 
mechanically. 

"  I  know  you  were  fond  of  her," 
said  Rachel,  "  and  I  sha'n't  say  a 
word  about  your  keeping  her  away 
from  me  so  much.  But  of  course  you 
can't  pretend  to  feel  what  I  do,  Grand- 
mother. You've  never  had  a  child, 
you  don't  know  what  a  mother  feels. 
You've  never  had  an/thing  to  feel, 


134  GRANDMOTHER 

really,  all  your  life.  Oh,  dear  !  oh,  dear  ! 
and  Manuel  takes  it  so  hard;  I'm 
sure  I  don't  know  what  is  going  to 
become  of  us.  Grandmother,  if  you 
are  going  to  be  like  a  wooden  stick,  I 
wish  you'd  go  away  and  send  Manuel 
to  me." 

Grandmother  went  without  a  word. 
At  the  door  she  met  the  kind  old 
minister,  the  same  who  christened 
Baby  Faith  —  ah,  how  long  ago  ?  She 
led  him  aside  to  the  hall  window,  and 
with  one  hand  on  his  arm  pointed 
upward  with  the  other. 

"  He  let  it  happen.  He  sent  the 
little  life,  and  then  let  it  be  crushed 
out  like  the  life  of  a  fly  or  a  worm. 
Why?" 

Her  eyes  looked  through  and  through 


HOW   SHE   FOUND   PEACE  135 

him,  but  the  wise  old  eyes  looked 
back  steadily  and  kindly. 

"  Daughter,"  he  said.  "  His  great 
laws  are  not  made  to  be  broken. 
When  we  transgress  them,  it  is  our- 
selves we  break,  against  their  divine 
and  unchangeable  order." 

Grandmother's  head  dropped  on  her 
bosom.  "  I  see !  "  she  said. 

She  stood  there  quietly  for  awhile 
after  he  had  gone  in  to  see  Rachel; 
then  she  went  to  find  Manuel. 

Manuel  was  sitting  in  the  kitchen, 
his  head  in  his  hands,  staring  moodily 
before  him.  He  looked  up  as  Grand- 
mother came  in,  looked  at  her  with 
haggard  eyes,  then  dropped  his  head 
again. 

"  Go  away  !  "  he  said  hoarsely.  "  Go 


136  GRANDMOTHER 

away,  you  white  thing !  What  have 
you  to  do  with  murderers  ?  " 

"I  never  saw  one,"  said  Grand- 
mother simply.  "  Poor  Manuel,  come 
out  into  the  garden.  It  isn't  good  for 
you  to  sit  here  and  brood." 

"  One  place  is  as  good  as  an- 
other," said  Manuel.  "  Leave  me 
alone  in  the  hell  we  have  made,  she 
and  I." 

Grandmother  did  not  speak  for  a 
time;  then  she  said,  "  Manuel,  God's 
will  must  be  done  in  hell  as  much  as 
anywhere  else." 

"  God !  "  said  Manuel ;  and  he 
laughed,  an  ugly  laugh.  "  Do  you  still 
believe  in  God  after  yesterday  ?  " 

"  Oh,  so  much  more !  "  said  Grand- 
mother; and  she  added  softly  as  if 


HOW   SHE   POUND   PEACE  137 

she  were  saying  over  a  lesson  that  she 
had  learned  by  heart,  "  His  great 
laws  may  not  be  broken.  When  we 
trangress  them,  it  is  ourselves  we 
break  —  Come,  Manuel,  come  out 
into  the  sunshine." 

She  spoke  as  to  a  child,  and  like  a 
child  he  obeyed,  and  followed  her  out 
into  the  blossoming  garden,  all  life 
and  color  and  fragrance.  As  the 
glory  shone  upon  him,  the  young  man 
staggered  on  the  threshold  and  uttered 
a  groan;  then  he  glanced  at  Grand- 
mother. "  Your  hair  is  as  white  as 
snow  !  "  he  said. 

"  Is  it  ?  "  said  Grandmother.  "  It 
doesn't  matter.  We  must  gather 
flowers,  all  the  brightest  flowers, 
Manuel,  for  Little  One.  She  liked 


138  GRANDMOTHER 

the  gay  ones  best,  and  there  is  nothing 
else  to  do  —  now." 

She  moved  away  slowly,  among  her 
flowers;  she  had  grown  heavy-footed 
since  yesterday ;  and  the  man  followed 
her  with  hanging  head. 

The  thing  that  was  between  them, 
instead  of  drawing  Rachel  and  her 
husband  together,  seemed  to  turn  them 
against  each  other.  There  were  bitter 
words,  words  that  pierced  and  stung 
like  poisoned  arrows ;  and  every  quarrel 
left  Rachel  more  hysterical,  Manuel 
more  gloomy  and  silent,  brooding  over 
that  sweet  past  that  had  been  flung 
into  the  dust. 

Grandmother  would  come  out  of 
her  dream  and  try  hard  to  make  peace, 


HOW   SHE    FOUND    PEACE  139 

and  she  could  always  quiet  Manuel, 
but  that  often  exasperated  Rachel  the 
more.  When  the  bitter  tongue  was 
turned  against  her  she  did  not  seem  to 
hear,  but  lapsed  again  into  the  listless 
half-dreaming  state  in  which  she  lived 
now,  moving  softly,  doing  with  exquisite 
care  everything  that  was  to  be  done, 
but  seeming  little  conscious  of  what 
was  going  on  around  her. 

Then  came  the  day  when  Rachel 
rushed  wild-eyed  into  her  room,  as  she 
sat  sewing  by  the  empty  cradle. 

"  Grandmother,"  she  cried ;  "  some- 
thing is  the  matter  with  Manuel. 
He's  —  sick ;  he  won't  speak  to  me. 
Go  and  see  what  is  the  matter,  quick !  " 

Grandmother  went  into  the  kitchen. 
Manuel  was  sitting  by  the  table  as  he 


140  GRANDMOTHER 

was  that  other  day,  his  head  in  his 
hands.  He  looked  up  and  smiled  at 
her,  a  dull,  foolish  smile.  :<  Grand- 
mother," he  said  thickly,  "  I'm  glad  - 
see  you.  I  sent  the  other  one  away. 
She's  no  good;  I've  had  enough  of 
her.  No  good !  but  you,  Grand- 
mother —  you  weren't  always  Grand- 
mother; what's  your  other  name? 
I  know  -  -  Pitia !  give  me  a  kiss, 
Pitia !  I  always  liked  you  best,  you 
know." 

He  rose  and  staggered  toward  her. 
She  recoiled,  her  arms  stretched  out, 
her  face  alight  with  anguish.  *  Don't 
come  a  step  nearer ! "  she  cried. 
"  Manuel  —  not  a  step  !  " 

He  stopped  and  stared  at  her 
stupidly.  Suddenly,  swiftly,  her  face 


HOW   SHE    FOUND   PEACE  141 

changed,  softened  into  pity  and  tender- 
ness. '  Poor  Manuel ! "  she  said. 
'  Poor  boy !  come  out  into  the  air ; 
come  with  me !  "  Again  the  quiet  hand 
rested  on  his  arm,  compelling  him, 
again  he  stumbled  out  into  the  good 
clear  blessed  sunshine.  Poor  Manuel ! 
Grandmother  brought  water  and 
bathed  his  aching  head,  and  made  him 
lie  down  under  the  great  russet-apple 
tree  where  the  shade  was  thick  and 
cool,  and  bade  him  sleep  till  the  head- 
ache was  over.  Then  she  came  back 
to  Rachel,  who  watched  half -jealous, 
half-terrified,  from  the  hall  window. 

What  need  to  dwell  on  the  time  that 
followed?  Manuel  had  found  the 
thing  that  —  for  the  moment  —  dead- 
ened the  pain  at  his  heart  and  dulled 


142  GRANDMOTHER 

his   ears   to  Rachel's   reproaches   and 
complaints. 

Some  latent  poison  in  the  blood  - 
who  can  read  these  mysteries  ?  —  made 
the  drink  a  fire  that  consumed  him. 
He  wasted  away,  and  hugged  his  des- 
troyer ever  closer  to  him.  Grand- 
mother battled  for  his  life,  as  she  had 
for  that  other  sweet  life  which  was  the 
light  of  her  own;  Rachel  looked  on 
terrified  and  helpless. 

Then  came  the  winter  night  when  he 
fell  down  senseless  by  the  garden  gate 
and  lay  there  all  night,  while  the 
women  watched  and  waited  in  the 
house.  It  was  Grandmother  who  found 
him.  She  had  persuaded  Rachel  to  lie 
down,  and  then  thrown  a  cloak  over 
her  wrapper  and  crept  out  in  the  gray 


HOW   SHE   FOUND    PEACE  143 

iron-bound  dawn  to  look  down  the 
road  for  one  who  might  be  coming 
stumbling  along,  and  might  need  help 
to  gain  the  house;  and  she  saw  the 
frozen  face  glimmering  up  from  the 
snow-bank  where  he  lay. 

There  was  one  cry;  a  long  low  cry 
that  shivered  through  the  still  frosty 
air;  but  no  one  heard. 

How  could  she  carry  him  in?  We 
never  knew;  she  never  spoke  of  it; 
but  no  one  else  saw  him  till  he  was  laid 
decently  in  his  bed  and  the  staring 
eyes  closed.  Then  she  called  his  wife. 

The  doctor  came  again,  and  good 
Mrs.  Peace,  and  all  was  done  that 
might  be;  but  it  was  a  bitter  night, 
and  all  was  over,,  as  Grandmother 
knew  at  the  first  sight  of  that  glimmer- 


144  GRANDMOTHER 

ing  face.     Poor   Manuel !     A   fire   of 
straw,  as  Mother  Peace  said. 

It  was  after  this  that  Grandmother 
had  the  long  illness;  when  she  lay  for 
weeks  speechless  and  motionless,  with 
barely  strength  enough  to  move  her 
little  finger  for  "Yes"  or  "No" 
when  we  asked  her  a  question.  I 
helped  Mrs.  Peace  and  Anne  with  the 
nursing.  Rachel  had  gone  away  to  her 
mother's  people.  Sometimes,  indeed 
many  times,  we  thought  she  was  gone ; 
she  lay  so  still ;  and  we  could  not  catch 
even  the  slightest  flutter  of  breath.  I 
remember  those  nights  so  well ;  one 
moonlight  night  in  particular.  We 
knew  how  she  loved  the  moonlight, 
and  opened  the  shutters  wide.  It  was 
a  cold  still  night,  the  snow  silver  white 


"  SHE  LAV  LIKE  AN  IVORY  STATUE. 


HOW   SHE    FOUND    PEACE  145 

under  the  moon.  The  light  poured  in 
full  and  strong  on  the  bed  where  she 
lay  like  an  ivory  statue,  and  turned  the 
ivory  to  silver.  I  thought  she  was 
dying  then,  and  thought  what  a  beauti- 
ful way  to  die,  the  heavenly  spirit 
mounting  along  the  moon-path,  leaving 
that  perfect  image  there  at  rest. 

That  was  in  February.  April  found 
her  still  lying  there,  just  breathing, 
no  more.  The  doctor  gave  a  little 
hope,  now;  she  might  slip  away  any 
time,  he  said,  but  still  it  had  lasted  so 
long,  there  must  be  a  reserve  of 
strength;  it  was  possible  that  she 
might  come  through  it. 

One  bright  warm  April  day  we  had 
opened  the  windows,  and  the  air  came 
in  sweet  and  fresh,  and  the  robins 


146  GRANDMOTHER 

were   singing  loud   and   merry   in   the 
budding  apple-trees. 

Suddenly  from  the  road  outside  came 
a  child's  laugh;  sweet  and  clear  it 
rang  out  like  a  silver  bell,  and  at  the 
sound  the  ivory  figure  in  the  bed  moved. 
A  slight  shiver  rippled  through  it  from 
head  to  foot.  The  eyes  opened  and 
looked  at  us,  clear  and  calm. 

Dear  Anne  Peace  knelt  down  beside 
the  bed  and  took  the  slender  trans- 
parent hands  in  hers,  the  tears  running 
down  her  face.  "  Grandmother,"  she 
said,  "  you  are  going  to  get  well  now  - 
for  the  children !  Spring  has  come, 
Grandmother  dear,  and  the  children 
need  you !  " 

She  did  get  well.  Slowly  but  surely 
life  and  strength  returned;  by  June 


HOW   SHE    FOUND    PEACE  147 

she  was  in  the  garden  again  with  the 
children  around  her.  Not  the  same, 
not  the  light-foot  girl  who  frolicked 
and  ran  with  the  other  children,  but  as 
you  all  remember  her;  serene,  clear- 
eyed,  cheerful,  full  of  wisdom,  grace, 
tenderness.  Grandmother !  who  in 
this  village  does  not  remember  her? 
To  you  young  people  she  seemed  an 
old  woman,  with  her  snow-white  hair 
and  ivory  face,  drawn  into  deep  patient 
lines.  She  was  not  fifty  when  she  died. 

During  the  twenty  years  she  had  yet  to 
live,  what  a  benediction  her  days  were 
to  old  and  young ! 

People  came  to  her  with  their  joys 
and  their  sorrows.  Strangers  came, 
from  outlying  places,  and  brought  their 
troubles  to  her ;  they  had  heard,  no  one 


148  GRANDMOTHER 

knows  how,  that  she  had  power  and 
wisdom  beyond  that  of  other  women. 
I  met  one  of  these  strangers  once.  I 
was  going  in  to  see  Grandmother,  and 
I  met  a  lady  coming  away ;  a  handsome 
lady,  richly  dressed.  She  had  been 
weeping,  but  her  face  was  full  of  light. 

She  looked  at  me.  '  Young  woman," 
she  said,  "  do  you  live  near  here  ?  " 

'  Yes,  madam,"  I  said;   "  close  by, 
in  that  brown  cottage." 

"Yours  is  a  high  privilege,"  she 
said,  "  to  dwell  so  near  to  heaven." 

She  looked  back  to  the  house  and 
kissed  her  hand  to  it;  then  beckoned, 
and  a  fine  carriage  came  up  and  she 
drove  away.  I  never  knew  who  she 
was. 

I  found  Grandmother  sitting  quietly 


HOW   SHE    FOUND    PEACE  149 

with    her     knitting,     by     the    empty 
cradle. 

'  What  did  you  say  to  that  lady, 
Grandmother  ? "  I  asked,  though  I 
knew  next  moment  I  should  not  have 
done  it. 

"  I  told  her  an  old  lesson,  my  dear," 
said  Grandmother;  "  a  lesson  I  learned 
long  ago." 

Once  it  was  Saturday  Nelly  who 
came;  Nelly,  now  grown  a  woman  — 
if  it  could  be  called  growing. 

"  Grandmother,"  she  said,  "  look 
at  me,  and  tell  me  what  you  see." 

Grandmother  looked  into  the  pale 
drawn  face  with  its  strange  eyes. 

"  Nelly  dear,"  she  said,  "  I  see  a 
face  that  I  love,  a  face  full  of  truth  and 
goodness." 


150  GRANDMOTHER 

"  You  see  a  monster !  "  said  the  poor 
girl.  She  made  a  passionate  gesture 
toward  a  mirror  that  hung  opposite 
them;  indeed,  the  glass  showed  a 
strange  contrast. 

"  Look !  "  she  said.  "  Look,  Grand- 
mother, and  tell  me !  When  one  is 
shut  up  in  a  prison  like  that,  full  of 
pain  and  horror  —  hasn't  one  a  right 
to  get  out  if  one  can  ?  " 

Seeing  the  wonder  in  Grandmother's 
face  she  hurried  on.  "  Father's  dead; 
poor  father !  I  would  not  let  myself 
think  of  it  while  he  was  living.  He  is 
dead,  and  there  is  no  one  else  —  except 
you,  Angel,  and  you  would  understand, 
wouldn't  you  ?  If  I  put  this  thing  to 
sleep  "  —  she  struck  her  heart  fiercely 
— "  and  slipped  out  of  prison- 


HOW   SHE    FOUND    PEACE  151 

Grandmother,  what  harm  would  it 
do  ?  what  harm  could  it  do  ?  " 

"  Nelly !  Nelly  dear,"  said  Grand- 
mother, "  you  couldn't  —  could  you  — 
go  with  your  lesson  half -learned  ? 
Such  a  strange,  wonderful  lesson,  Nelly, 
and  you  have  been  learning  so  well. 
To  go  there,  and  when  they  asked  you, 
have  to  say  '  I  didn't  finish,  I  left  it 
half-done,  because  I  didn't  like  it;' 
could  you  do  that,  do  you  think,  Nelly 
dear  ?  because  —  it  wouldn't  be  ready 
at  the  other  end  either,  don't  you  see, 
darling?  It  wouldn't  fit  in.  You 
haven't  thought  of  that,  have  you, 
Nelly?" 

Nelly  hid  her  face  in  her  hands,  and 
there  was  a  long  silence.  Presently 
she  spoke,  low  and  trembling. 


152  GRANDMOTHER 

"  Grandmother  -  -  suppose  there 
wasn't  any  other  end!  Suppose  I 
couldn't  see  —  suppose  I  didn't  be- 
lieve there  was  —  anything  more  — 
when  this  hateful  thing  "  —  she  plucked 
at  her  poor  twisted  body  as  if  she  would 
have  torn  it  — "  is  buried  out  of 
sight  with  the  other  worms!  what 
then?" 

"Oh,  Nelly!"  said  Grandmother 
softly.  "Nelly  dear!  if  it  were  so; 
if  this  were  the  only  lesson,  mustn't 
we  try  all  the  harder  to  learn  it  well  ? 
if  this  should  be  our  only  chance  to 
help  and  love  and  tend  and  cheer, 
would  we  give  up  one  minute  of 
the  time?  Oh,  no!  Nelly,  no! 
Think  a  little,  my  dear!  think  a 
little  !  " 


HOW   SHE    FOUND    PEACE  153 

We  all  remember  Saturday  Nelly, 
in  the  little  shop  that  Grandmother 
set  up  for  her,  selling  sweeties  to  the 
children,  selling  thread  and  needles 
and  tape,  tending  her  birds  and  flowers, 
the  cheeriest,  gayest  little  soul  in  the 
village.  Her  shop  was  a  kind  of  centre 
of  merry  innocent  chatter  for  young  and 
old ;  it  was  full  from  morning  to  night. 
We  never  thought  much  about  Nelly's 
looks  except  when  we  spoke  of  Grand- 
mother; then  her  face  grew  beautiful. 

I  think  the  children  loved  Grand- 
mother better  even  than  in  her  girl- 
days. 

The  Saturday  feasts  were  quieter, 
but  still  full  of  light  and  joy,  and  the 
stories  —  well,  they  were  like  no  other 
stories  that  ever  were  told. 


154  GRANDMOTHER 

"  And  oh !  the  words  that  fell  from  her  mouth, 
Were  words  of  wisdom  and  of  truth." 


So  she  lived,  blessing  and  blessed, 
twenty  more  heavenly  years ;  and  so, 
when  God  called  her,  she  died.  We 
found  her  one  morning  sitting  by  the 
little  cradle,  her  head  resting  on  it,  and 
a  white  rose  in  her  quiet  hand.  When 
we  raised  her  face  and  looked  at  it, 
there  was  no  need  to  ask  whither  the 
spirit  had  gone. 

And  Rachel  ?  A  year  after  Manuel 
died,  she  married  a  man  from  a  neigh- 
boring village,  a  masterful  man  who 
broke  her  over  his  knee  like  a  willow 
switch,  and  whom  she  adored  for  the 
rest  of  her  life.  She  bore  him  sons  and 


HOW   SHE    FOUND    PEACE  155 

daughters,  and  grew  —  comparatively 
-  cheerful  and  placid. 

She  came  to  see  Grandmother  now 
and  then,  and  marvelled  at  her. 

'  How  you  do  age,  Grandmother !  " 
she  would  say.  "  And  you  without  a 
care  in  the  world.  I  wonder  what 
would  have  happened  if  you  had  really 
lived,  as  I  have !  " 


THE    END. 


tttiL  Oi  CAtif*  U8RARY.  LQ5 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000480194    0 


